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Unit 1: Mechanics Page 16
Textbook Reading
In 1666 Newton did his early work Well, this lesson is all about giving
on his Three Laws of Motion. To you a better feeling for what the
this day, those laws still hold true. word force means. We’ll be talking
There has been some allowances a lot about forces in many lessons
for really big things (like the to come. So, pay attention! The
cosmos) and for really small things simplest way to define force is to
(like the atom). Other than that, say that it means a push or a pull
Newton’s Law’s are pretty much like pulling a wagon or pushing a
dead on. car. That’s a correct definition, but
Newton’s Laws are all they used to there’s a lot more to what a force
get the first man to the moon. is than just that. Let’s take a look.
They are an amazingly powerful The Foursome of Forces
and wonderful area of physics. I
like them because evidence of There are four types of forces.
them is everywhere. If something They are, in order of strength,
moves or can be moved, it follows strong nuclear force,
Newton’s Laws. You can’t sit in a electromagnetism, weak nuclear
car, walk down the road, drink a force, and gravity. That’s it. Those
glass of milk, or kick a ball without are all the forces that do all the
using Newton’s Laws. I also like pushing and pulling in the entire
them because they are relatively universe. The strong and weak
easy to understand and yet open nuclear forces are responsible for
up worlds of answers and holding atoms together. They are
questions. They are truly a quite important, but unless you’re
foundation for understanding the dealing with physics at a quantum
world around you. (atomic) level they are not
something you need to know too
Force much about. So we won’t spend
If I asked you to define the word any time on them here.
force, what would you say? You As you look at the list of the
probably have a feeling for what fearsome foursome of forces, you
force means, but you may have may notice a couple of strange
trouble putting it into words. It’s things. The first thing you may
kind of like asking someone to have asked yourself is, “Gravity is
define the word “and” or “the”. the weakest force!!??” Believe it or
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