PH03-05 Physics Coming soon
Resolving forces with a scale vector diagram (Higher)
PH03-05
This lesson is coming soon.
In this lesson
Find the resultant of two forces that are not in a straight line by drawing them to scale, and give its size in newtons and its direction as a measured angle.
What it covers
- Why forces at an angle cannot be added or subtracted: a force is a vector, so its direction is part of the quantity
- Choosing a scale, writing it down before the first line is drawn, and sizing it so the biggest force is about eight to ten centimetres long
- Drawing to scale with a ruler and a protractor - tip to tail, or the parallelogram, one method chosen and used consistently
- An ARROWHEAD on every line, including the resultant, drawn in the same beat as the line
- MEASURING the resultant off the finished drawing: length converted back through the scale, direction as an angle from a reference that was named first
- Resolving one force into two perpendicular components by scale drawing, which is the direction students practise least
- Showing a set of forces is in EQUILIBRIUM because the drawing closes on itself
- The boards' own limiter, printed on the atom: SCALE DRAWINGS ONLY
- The working stays on screen while it is being measured - the drawing is the answer and must not leave the frame
Key words
For: AQA GCSE 8463, Edexcel GCSE 1PH0, OCR GCSE J249
On the specification
| Board | Spec | Statement |
|---|---|---|
| AQA GCSE 8463 | 4.5.1.4c | Resultant forces |
| Edexcel GCSE 1PH0 | 9.3 | Use vector diagrams to illustrate resolution of forces, a net force, and equilibrium situations (scale drawings only) |
| OCR GCSE J249 | P2.2e | Use vector diagrams to illustrate resolution of forces, a net force (resultant force), and equilibrium situations |
For teachers
This GCSE Physics lesson teaches resolving forces with a scale vector diagram (Higher). By the end, students should be able to find the resultant of two forces that are not in a straight line by drawing them to scale, and give its size in newtons and its direction as a measured angle. It works through three worked examples and the mistakes examiners report.