Draw a detailed free body diagram of the ball. Show all the forces involved: gra
ID: 1326835 • Letter: D
Question
Draw a detailed free body diagram of the ball. Show all the forces involved: gravity (weight),
the string tension, and the electrostatic force. Resolve the force vectors into horizontal and vertical
components and label them properly.
Explanation / Answer
Start by drawing a box. Draw a circle. It's a simple shape and it's the shape of the actual thing itself. Draw a line coming out the top if you feel so inclined. Keep it light, however. You don't want to be distracted by it when you add in the forces.
The ball has mass. It's on the Earth (in the Earth's gravitational field to be more precise). Therefore it has weight. Weight points down. One vector done.
The wrecking ball is suspended. It isn't falling. Therefore something is acting against gravity. That thing is the cable which suspends the ball. The force it exerts is called tension. The cable is vertical. Therefore the force is vertical. Gravity down. Tension up.
Tension and weight cancel.
W = T
In summary, draw a circle with two arrows of equal length coming out of the center, one pointing up and one pointing down. Label the one pointing down weight (or W or Fg) and the one pointing up tension (or T or Ft).
Weight (W, Fg)
The force of gravity acting on an object due to its mass. An object's weight is directed down, toward the center of the gravitating body.
Tension (T, Ft)
The force exerted by an object being pulled upon from opposite ends like a string, rope, cable, chain, etc. Tension is directed along the axis of the object.
Electrostatic Force (FE)
The attraction or repulsion between charged bodies. Experienced in everyday life through static cling and in school as the explanation behind much of elementary chemistry.
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