Balanced vs. Unbalanced
Forces Notes
2016-2017
Mrs. Melka
Harpool Middle School
Balanced or Unbalanced?
Balanced or Unbalanced?
Balanced vs. Unbalanced
Forces
•A force can give energy to an object
causing the object to start moving, stop
moving, or change its direction.
•Forces can be either balanced or
unbalanced.
•All forces acting on an object are
combined to find the net force.
Balanced Forces
•When the forces acting on an object
combine and form a net force of zero.
•DO NOT cause a change in the object’s
motion.
Unbalanced Forces
•When the forces acting on an object
combine and form a net force of something
greater than zero.
•DO cause a change in an object’s motion.
•the forces can move opposite of one
another OR in the same direction
•The net force has a strength (ex: 20N) and
a direction (ex: to the west).
•The direction of the net force is always in
the direction of the larger force.
Unbalanced Forces cont.
Unbalanced forces moving in SAME
direction:
Unbalanced Forces cont.
Unbalanced forces moving in
OPPOSITE directions:
Combining to find NET FORCE
#1) Forces in the same direction are added together
to find the net force.
#2) Forces in opposite directions are subtracted to
find the net force.
Add this minus
sign.
Balanced vs. Unbalanced Forces
Professional Arm Wrestling – What’s the difference when it’s
balanced vs. unbalanced?
Professional Tug of War (start at 2:30) – What’s the difference
when it’s balanced vs. unbalanced?
Page
197
Page
197
200N
250N
50N
100N
80N
Unbalanced
20N
Unbalanced
180N
180N
0N
Balanced