Solving Force Calculations
By: Anna Guaderrama
Know your equations!
Make sure you know your equations! There are 3 major equation you must know and remember to be able to find an individual force.
- Equation for Net Force: Fnet = m X a
- Equation for Gravitational Force: Fgrav = m•g
- Equation for Frictional Force: Ffrict = μ•Fnorm
Applying the equations ft. Example 1
Problem #1: The net force is known. However, the magnitude of the individual forces is not known. Analyze the situation individually and determine the magnitude of the unknown forces.
To figure out this problem. You would use your first equation (Net Force Equation) and apply it to this situation. The actual question (not mentioned above) states that the mass (not labeled in the free-body diagram) is 35 grams and acceleration is 15. To find the answer for this particular problem, you would multiply the mass times acceleration, thus bringing you to the net force of this equation/problem.