Force
When we hear the word force, we immediately thin of a push or a pull. This is because that pushes and pulls are the easiest examples and demonstrations of what force is, something that can move an object. Both pushes and pulls exert a certain amount of force and in a particular direction. Because of these properties, force is said to be a vector quantity.
Force is more than just moving an object however, it can also change the way an object appears. For example, what is now known is physics as normal force can be seen when someone crushes a soda can in their hand. The force of their hand exerts just the right amount and in an inward direction, changing the look of the soda can completely. There are many good science projects you can create through the study of force. Specific kinds of force also open up more avenues for good science projects.
Gravity is a force we live with everyday, and probably hardly even notice. It is commonly described as the earth's pull on objects. Gravity on earth is what keeps us on the ground, it's what keeps our houses standing, and is basically what keeps our world together. Given that huge task, it is indirectly what allows plant life, animals, and humans to flourish on earth. There are tons of good science projects that use the force of gravity as a factor.
More than just earth, though, gravity is what keeps our solar system together, and the earth at its distance from the sun. The simplest example of gravity happens when we drop an object, and it falls to the ground. The force of gravity pulls all objects with inertia, and this is what happens to our dropped object. The very concept of dropping something actually rests on the theory of gravity.
Other forces found on earth are the centrifugal and centripetal forces. The centrifugal force is what causes water in bowl to move towards the sides when the bowl is rotated. The water is carried by an outward centrifugal force, away from the center of rotation. You experience centrifugal force when you hold on to a friend's hand and spin together. You feel yourself being pulled away from your friend, you hands being the center of rotation.
Centripetal force is what roller coasters with loops rely on. It is in fact, a force that pulls a moving object towards the center of a curved path. In other everyday conditions, we feel centripetal force in the banking of curves on the road. When we make a sharp turn away from the center of a curved path, the car is pulled back towards the center. The study centrifugal and centripetal forces can be used in good science projects. In the projects section, you will be instructed to study centripetal force and gravity when you recreate what happens in a roller coaster.
