For other uses, see Force (disambiguation) and Forcing (disambiguation).

Force

Forces are also described as a push or pull on an object. They

can be due to phenomena such as gravity, magnetism, or

anything that might cause a mass to accelerate.

Common symbols F, F

SI unit newton (N)

In SI base units 1 kgm/s2

SI dimension LMT^{-2}

Derivations from F=ma

other quantities

Classical mechanics

Second law of motion

History
Timeline

Branches[show]

Fundamentals[hide]
Acceleration
Angular momentum
Couple
D'Alembert's principle
Energy
o kinetic
o potential

Force
Frame of reference
Impulse
Inertia / Moment of inertia
Mass

Mechanical power
Mechanical work

Moment
Momentum
Space
Speed
Time
Torque
Velocity
Virtual work

Formulations[show]

Core topics[show]

Rotation[show]

Scientists[show]

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In physics, a force is any interaction that, when unopposed, will change the motion of
an object.[1] A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (which includes to
begin moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively
as a push or a pull. A force has both magnitude and direction, making it a vector quantity. It
is measured in the SI unit of newtons and represented by the symbol F.
The original form of Newton's second law states that the net force acting upon an object is
equal to the rate at which its momentum changes with time. If the mass of the object is
constant, this law implies that the accelerationof an object is directly proportional to the net
force acting on the object, is in the direction of the net force, and is inversely proportional to
the mass of the object
 Concepts related to force include: thrust, which increases the velocity of an object; drag,
which decreases the velocity of an object; and torque, which produces changes in rotational
speed of an object. In an extended body, each part usually applies forces on the adjacent
parts; the distribution of such forces through the body is the internal mechanical stress. Such
internal mechanical stresses cause no accelation of that body as the forces balance one
another. Pressure, the distribution of many small forces applied over an area of a body, is a
simple type of stress that if unbalanced can cause the body to accelerate. Stress usually
causes deformation of solid materials, or flow in fluids.

Contents
[hide]

1Development of the concept

2Pre-Newtonian concepts
3Newtonian mechanics
o 3.1First law
o 3.2Second law
o 3.3Third law
4Special theory of relativity
5Descriptions
o 5.1Equilibrium
5.1.1Static
5.1.2Dynamic
o 5.2Forces in quantum mechanics
o 5.3Feynman diagrams
6Fundamental forces
o 6.1Gravitational
o 6.2Electromagnetic
o 6.3Strong nuclear
o 6.4Weak nuclear
7Non-fundamental forces
o 7.1Normal force
o 7.2Friction
o 7.3Tension
o 7.4Elastic force
o 7.5Continuum mechanics
o 7.6Fictitious forces
8Rotations and torque
o 8.1Centripetal force
9Kinematic integrals
10Potential energy
o 10.1Conservative forces
o 10.2Nonconservative forces
11Units of measurement
12Force measurement
13See also
14Notes
15References
16Further reading
17External links

Development of the concept

Philosophers in antiquity used the concept of force in the study
of stationary and moving objects and simple machines, but thinkers such
as Aristotle and Archimedes retained fundamental errors in understanding force. In part this
was due to an incomplete understanding of the sometimes non-obvious force of friction, and
a consequently inadequate view of the nature of natural motion.[2] A fundamental error was
the belief that a force is required to maintain motion, even at a constant velocity. Most of the
previous misunderstandings about motion and force were eventually corrected by Galileo
Galilei and Sir Isaac Newton. With his mathematical insight, Sir Isaac
Newton formulated laws of motion that were not improved for nearly three hundred
years.[3] By the early 20th century, Einstein developed a theory of relativity that correctly
predicted the action of forces on objects with increasing momenta near the speed of light,
and also provided insight into the forces produced by gravitation and inertia.
With modern insights into quantum mechanics and technology that can accelerate particles
close to the speed of light, particle physics has devised a Standard Model to describe forces
between particles smaller than atoms. The Standard Model predicts that exchanged particles
called gauge bosons are the fundamental means by which forces are emitted and absorbed.
Only four main interactions are known: in order of decreasing strength, they
are: strong, electromagnetic, weak, and gravitational.[4]:210[5]:79 High-energy particle
physicsobservations made during the 1970s and 1980s confirmed that the weak and
electromagnetic forces are expressions of a more fundamental electroweak interaction.[6]