Moment

The turning effect of a force is known as the moment. It is the product of the force multiplied
by the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the pivot or point where
the object will turn.

When undoing a nut fastened to a screw by hand one realizes that the amount of force
required is a lot greater than when undoing the same nut using a spanner. The spanner
increases the distance between the fulcrum and the line of action of the force, thus for the
same force a greater moment is obtained.

SMALL MOMENT LARGE MOMENT

The distance from the fulcrum to the line of The distance from the fulcrum to the line of
action of force is very small action of force is large

Principle of Moments

The principle of moments states that when in equilibrium the total sum of the anti clockwise
moment is equal to the total sum of the clockwise moment.

When a system is stable or balance it is said to be in equilibrium as all the forces acting on the
system cancel each other out.
In equilibrium

Total Anticlockwise Moment = Total Clockwise Moment

This principle can be explained by considering two people on a seesaw.

Moments Acting On A Seesaw

Both people exert a downward force on the seesaw due to their weights.

Person As weight is trying to turn the seesaw anticlockwise whilst person Bs

weight is trying to turn the seesaw clockwise.

Person As Moment = Force x perpendicular distance from fulcrum

1000 x 1 = 1000 Nm

Person Bs Moment = Force x perpendicular distance from fulcrum

500 x 2 = 1000 Nm

Persons As moment = Persons Bs Moment

Anticlockwise moment = Clockwise moment

Therefore seesaw is in equilibrium.

Circular Motion & Centripetal Force

From Newtons first law of motion it is known that an object will remain stationary, or keep
moving at constant velocity in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. When
an object moves in a circular path its direction is changing all the time therefore according to
Newtons first law there must be an unbalanced force acting upon it all the time.

When an object moves in a circle although its speed is constant the direction is continuously
changing. Therefore its velocity is continuously changing as velocity is speed in a particular
direction. The changing velocity in time means the object is accelerating all the time.

The resultant force which causes this acceleration is the centripetal force.

The centripetal force always acts toward the centre of the circle.

The centripetal force is determined from the following equation:

If a ball is tied to the end of a strong string and swung in a circle, the ball accelerates towards
the centre of the circle. The centripetal force which causes the inwards acceleration is from the
tension in the string caused by the persons hand pulling the string. If the string breaks there is
no longer resultant force acting on the ball, so it will continue its motion in a straight line at
constant speed.
The centripetal force required to make an object perform circular motion increases in the
following cases:

If the mass of the object increases.

If the velocity of the object increases.
If the radius of the circle decreases.

The above points are evident when considering the equation for centripetal force.