How To Draw a Free-Body Diagram 1. Start with a situation (usually given to you). 2. List the forces that are involved in the situation. 3. Draw a diagram of the object with vectors representing the forces. 4. Find the total (net) force on the object.
Situation: Draw a free-body diagram of a football being kicked. Example Situation: Draw a free-body diagram of a football being kicked. Forces: What forces are acting on the football? Gravity (downward) The ground (upward) Foot (horizontal)
Diagram (Example) Normal (from the ground) Kick Gravity Net Force: normal & gravity forces cancel out, so the net force is the kick pushing on the ball.
Practice Situations Draw a free-body diagram for a projectile in motion in the presence of air resistance Draw a free-body diagram for a heavy crate being pushed across a rough surface.
Independent Work Draw a free-body diagram for two lifeguards pulling in the same direction on a raft (with a net force of 334 N to the right). Draw a free-body diagram for the same two lifeguards pulling in opposite directions on a raft (with a net force of 106 N to the left). How much force does each lifeguard exert?