Quarter 2, Blogpost #2

This week we've been studying types of forces and learning to creating free body diagrams. A force is simply a push or a pull. A force is determined by both magnitude and direction, making it a vector. Different types of vectors include net forces, contact forces, frictional forces, and balanced forces. Net forces are forces that are unbalanced. For example, if you stand on one leg and can't remain still and are leaning to one side, there is a net force acting on you. Contact forces are forces that take place when at least two objects are touching. Frictional forces are forces that oppose motion or impending motion. Lastly, balanced forces have no acceleration but could be moving at a constant velocity. In this picture, the tennis ball on the graph has two forces acting on it. The first force is the force of gravity. Gravity creates the downwards pull, keeping the ball on the ground. The second force acting on the ball is called a "normal force" A normal force is a downward force of gravity being opposed by an upward force. The normal force acts upward on the force of gravity, causing the pull of gravity and the push from the ground upward on the ball to be balanced, meaning no acceleration.