Physics Topic: Forces and Moments

  1. describe the forces on a mass, charge and current-carrying conductor in gravitational, electric and magnetic fields, as appropriate

  2. show a qualitative understanding of forces including normal force, buoyant force (upthrust), frictional force and viscous force, e.g. air resistance. (knowledge of the concepts of coefficients of friction and viscosity is not required)

  3. recall and apply Hooke’s law (F = kx, where k is the force constant) to new situations or to solve related problems

  4. define and apply the moment of a force and the torque of a couple

  5. show an understanding that a couple is a pair of forces which tends to produce rotation only

  6. show an understanding that the weight of a body may be taken as acting at a single point known as its centre of gravity

  7. apply the principle of moments to new situations or to solve related problems

  8. show an understanding that, when there is no resultant force and no resultant torque, a system is in equilibrium

  9. use free-body diagrams and vector triangles to represent forces on bodies that are in rotational and translational equilibrium.