Resultant force
What Resultant force means in Physics GCSE, as defined for AQA, OCR.
Definitions of Resultant force
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Reference: AQA
When several forces lead to a resultant force on an object, a zero resultant force means the object stays at rest or keeps a constant velocity.
An unbalanced force that causes acceleration, so a larger inertial mass gives a smaller acceleration for the same resultant force.
A large deceleration requires a large one of these on whatever is being slowed, since force equals mass times acceleration.
The total remaining force when two or more forces acting along the same line are combined by adding or subtracting.
The overall force left when the resistive forces are taken from the driving force; it is zero at maximum speed.
Found by adding or subtracting all forces along the line of motion, and it must always be used in F = m a.
Topics that use Resultant force
- Newton's First Law (AQA GCSE)
- Newton's Second Law (AQA GCSE)
- Resultant forces (AQA GCSE)
- Newton's laws (OCR GCSE)
- Physics on the move (OCR GCSE)
Related terms
- balanced forces
- Inertial mass
- constant velocity
- free body diagram
- inertia
- Mass
- Newton's second law
- SI units and unit conversion
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