Sources
open directory project
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Net force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about forces in physics. For the Tom Clancy sci-fi novel, see Tom Clancy's Net Force
A net force (also known as a resultant force) is a vector produced when two or more forces act upon a single object. It is calculated by adding the force vectors acting upon the object. A net force can also be defined as the overall force acting on an object, when all the individual forces acting on the object are added together.
- When force A and force B act on an object in the same direction (parallel vectors), the net force (C) is equal to A + B, in the direction that both A and B point.
- When force A and force B act on an object in opposite directions (180 degrees between then - anti-parallel vectors), the net force (C) is equal to |A - B|, in the direction of whichever one has greater absolute value ("greater magnitude").
- When the angle between them (the forces) is anything else, then the individual components must be added up using sine and cosine.
(Note: The illustration assumes that the object, in this case a square, has no center of mass and can be treated like a point.)