Modeling Forces

We build our model of forces starting from the visible metaphor of springs, then turn to Touching Forces (macroscopic force models) and Non-Touching forces (more fundamental force models).

To get an overview of this chapter and to understand the motivation, read the following page:

• Overview: Modeling Forces

Here's the full Table of Contents of the chapter. The notation "(EX)" means that there is a worked example attached to that page. The notation "{WO}" means there is an activity (a Workout) attached to that page, usually one that involves working with a simulation.

• Springs -- Hooke's law
  • Realistic springs
  • Normal forces
    • A simple model of solid matter
• Tension forces (WO)
• Resistive forces
  • Friction (WO)
    • Reading the content in the friction equations
  • Viscosity
  • Drag
  • Reynolds number
• Gravitational forces
  • Flat-earth gravity
    • Free-fall in flat-earth gravity (EX)
  • Newton's Universal gravitation
  • The gravitational field
• Electric forces
  • Charge and the structure of matter
  • Polarization (WO)
  • Coulomb's law (WO)
    • Coulomb's law -- vector character (EX)
    • Reading the content in Coulomb's law
  • The Electric field (WO)

Joe Redish 1/30/19