Force Arrows
Forces and Motion

Trying out adding arrows

Physics Narrative for 11-14 Supporting Physics Teaching

Adding force arrows to a familiar situation

The image shows a situation familiar to most teachers. Think how this will look when seen through forces spectacles. Focus on the forces which act on the hanging masses.

Make a simplifying sketch to model the forces acting on the hanging masses.

Here's what to do:

  1. Identify one object.
  2. Isolate that object from it's environment.
  3. Identify the forces acting by thinking about interactions with the environment.

In episodes 2 and 3 we'll introduce a kind of force-spotter's guide – a series of clues to look for in the environment that allow you to identify the force arrows to add to your description.

Teacher Tip: Don't forget to actually try to do the drawing.

Force Arrows
can be used to represent Force
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