Using physics to make things

work
Moments

The turning effect of a force is called its moment

The size of the moment is given by the equation M=Fxd
To increase the moment:
o Either the force must increase
o Or the distance to the pivot must increase
It is easier to undo a wheel-nut by pushing on the end of a long spanner
than a short one. Thats because the long spanner increases the distance
between the line of action of the force and the pivot
We make use of a lever to make a job easier.
When using a lever, the force we are trying to move is called the load and
the force applied to the lever is the effort.
A lever acts as a force multiplier, so the effort we apply can be much less
than the load

Centre of mass

The centre of mass of an object is that point where its mass is can be
thought to be concentrated.
When a suspended object is in equilibrium, its centre of mass is directly
beneath the centre of mass is directly beneath the point of suspension
The centre of mass of a symmetrical object is along the axis of symmetry.

Moments in balance

If an object is in equilibrium it is balanced, not turning. We can take the

moments about any point and will find that the total clockwise moment
and the total anticlockwise moment are equal.
There are lots of everyday examples of the principle of moments such
as seesaws and balance scales

Stability

The line of action of the weight of an object acts through its centre of mass
The wider the base of an object, and the lower its centre of mass, the
further it has to tilt before the line of action of the weight moves outside
the base.
So the stability of an object is increased by making its base wider and its
centre of mass lower
An object topples over if the resultant moment about its point of turning is
not zero

Hydraulics

F
P= A
P= Pressure
F= Force
A= The cross sectional area at right angles to the direction of the force
The pressure in a fluid acts equally in all directions
A hydraulic system uses the pressure in a fluid to exert a force
The use of different cross-sectional areas on the effort and load sides of a
hydraulic system means that the system can be used as a force
multiplier. Therefore, a small effort can be used to move a large load

Circular Motion

When an object moves in a circle it is continuously changing direction, so

it is continuously changing velocity
In other words, it is accelerating. This acceleration is called the
centripetal acceleration.
An object only accelerates when a resultant force acts on it. This force is
called the centripetal force and always acts towards the centre of the
circle
If the centripetal force stops acting, the object will continue to move in a
straight line at a tangent to a circle.
The centripetal force needed to make an object perform circular motion
increases as:
o The mass of the object increases
o The speed of the object increases
o The radius of the circle decreases

Pendulum

The time period of a simple pendulum depends only on its length

To measure the time period of a pendulum, we can measure the average
time for 20 oscillations and divide the timing by 20
Friction at the top of a playground swing and air resistance will stop it
oscillating if it is not pushed repeatedly