3.

4 Turning forces

3.4 Turning forces

Exercise 3.4A Identifying turning forces
Focus
In this exercise, you will decide where turning forces are used.
1 Which of these actions needs a turning force to happen?
Tick (✓) all that apply.
pushing a door open
pulling a chair across the floor
twisting the top off a bottle
pushing the hands of a clock around
pushing a trolley up a ramp
stretching an elastic band
2 Which of these objects needs a turning force to work?
Tick (✓) all that apply.

3 What name is given to the turning effect of a force?

Circle one word.

minute moment rotate revolve

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3 Forces and energy

Exercise 3.4B Calculating moments

Practice
In this exercise, you will calculate moments and make predictions about
moments.
1 Write the equation that links moment, force and distance.

2 The picture shows a crane supporting a 15 000 N weight.

The weight is supported 5 m from the pivot of the crane.
5m

pivot

15 000 N

a Calculate the moment caused by the weight on the crane.

Show your working.

Nm

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 3.4 Turning forces

b Explain the effect on this moment of:

i moving the weight further from the pivot

ii moving the weight closer to the pivot.

3 Some people use units that are not international standard units.
One of these units of distance is the foot.
One of these units of force is pounds.
Write the unit of moment in these units.

Exercise 3.4C Moments,

force and distance
Challenge
In this exercise, you will calculate forces and distances
for moments.
1 A spanner will turn a nut. The nut needs a moment of 40 Nm to
turn. The spanner is 0.2 m long.
spanner nut

0.2 m

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3 Forces and energy

a Calculate the force that must be exerted on the spanner.

Show your working and give the unit.

b Explain why using a longer spanner will make the nut easier
to turn.

2 An engine exerts a moment of 350 Nm 0.35 m

when measured at a wheel.
The engine drives a wheel that has a
radius of 0.35 m The pivot of the wheel
is at the centre.

Calculate the force at the outside of the wheel.

Show your working and give the unit.

3 Sofia weighs 500 N. She sits on a seesaw at a distance of 2 m from

the pivot.

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 3.5 Pressure between solids

a Calculate the moment that Sofia exerts on the seesaw.

Show your working and give the unit.

The seesaw will balance when the moments on both sides are equal.
Zara weighs 400 N.
b Calculate the distance from the pivot to where Zara should sit to
balance the seesaw.
Show your working and give the unit.

3.5 Pressure between solids

Exercise 3.5A Describing pressure
Focus
In this exercise, you will describe what affects pressure in solids.
1 Which of these is used to work out pressure?
Tick (✓) one box.

force
pressure = _____
area pressure = mass × area

mass
pressure = _____
area pressure = force × area

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3 Forces and energy

2 Zara has four different styles of shoes.

Which shoes will exert the greatest pressure on the floor when Zara
wears them?
Tick (✓) one box.

3 The picture shows a box. The areas of three faces of the box,
A, B and C are shown.
A = 40 cm2

B = 15 cm2

C = 60 cm2

a Which face of the box will exert the smallest pressure

on the floor?
Write the letter.
b Explain your answer to part a.

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 3.5 Pressure between solids

Exercise 3.5B Calculating pressure

Practice
In this exercise, you will calculate pressure in solids and think about the
units of pressure.
1 A rock exerts a pressure of 20 N/cm2 on the ground.
What does 20 N/cm2 mean?
Complete the sentence.
A force of acts on each of area.
2 A large book has a weight of 15 N. The area of one end of the
book is 60 cm2.
Calculate the pressure the book exerts when standing on this end.
Show your working.

N/cm2
3 A nail will go into wood if the pressure on the end of the nail is
60 N/mm2.
The area of the end of the nail in contact with the wood is 0.5 mm2.
Calculate the force needed on the nail to make it go into the wood.
Show your working and give the unit with your answer.

4 Not all of the units used by people are standard scientific units.
Some people use other units.
One of these other units of force is pounds.
One of these other units of area is square inch.
State the unit of pressure in these other units.

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3 Forces and energy

Exercise 3.5C
Variables affecting pressure
Challenge
In this exercise, you will consider the variables that affect pressure
in solids.
1 The picture shows part of the stem of a plant called a rose.
The stem has parts called thorns.

stem

thorns

Explain why touching the thorns is more dangerous than touching

other parts of the stem.

2 Cars can get stuck in sand when a wheel sinks down into the sand.
Explain why putting a large piece of wood under the wheel can
stop the wheel from sinking.

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 3.5 Pressure between solids

3 Arun is cutting bread.

Explain why a sharp knife is better for cutting bread than a knife
that is not sharp.

4 The picture shows a drawing pin. The two ends of the drawing pin
are labelled A and B.

A B

Part A is pushed by your thumb.

Part B goes into a wall or drawing board.
Explain the shape of each end of the drawing pin.

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3 Forces and energy

3.6 Pressure in liquids

and gases
Exercise 3.6A Trends in pressure 1
Focus
In this exercise, you will describe what affects pressure in liquids
and gases.
1 State what happens to the pressure in a liquid as depth increases.

2 Where is pressure in the air largest?

Tick (✓) one box.
at sea level
at the top of a mountain
at the top of clouds
at the top of the atmosphere
3 A car tyre is filled with air.
When the car is moving, the temperature of the tyre increases.
State what happens to the pressure of the air in the tyre when
temperature increases.

4 A plastic bottle is filled with air. The top is on the bottle so the
air cannot escape.
The bottle is squeezed so the volume decreases.
State what happens to the pressure of the air in the bottle when
the volume decreases.

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 3.6 Pressure in liquids and gases

Exercise 3.6B Trends in pressure 2

Practice
In this exercise, you will think in more detail about what affects pressure
in liquids and gases.
1 The picture shows a small fish in deep water. The fish is not moving.
The water is not moving.
The arrows A, B and C show three directions from which pressure
from the water acts on the fish.
A

Which statement is correct?

Tick (✓) one box.
The pressure in direction A is the largest.
The pressure in direction B is the largest.
The pressure in direction C is the largest.
The pressure is equal in all directions.
2 The picture shows water coming out of three holes in a bottle.

Describe the conclusion that can be made from this observation.

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3 Forces and energy

3 A balloon is filled with air. The balloon is then sealed so that air
cannot escape.

a State what will happen to the pressure inside the balloon if the
temperature decreases.

b Explain your answer to part a.

Exercise 3.6C Trends in pressure 3

Challenge
In this exercise, you will demonstrate understanding of changes in
pressure in gases.
1 A balloon is filled with air. The balloon is then sealed so that air
cannot escape.
The diameter of the balloon is 20 cm.
Very cold liquid is poured over the balloon.
The balloon becomes smaller until its diameter is 5 cm.
Explain this observation.

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 3.6 Pressure in liquids and gases

2 The tyres on an aeroplane are filled with nitrogen gas.

The aeroplane is at an altitude of 11 000 m. The temperature of the
tyres is −50°C.
The aeroplane lands on the ground 30 minutes later.
The temperature of the tyres is now 25°C.
a Sketch a graph of the atmospheric pressure outside the
aeroplane during this 30 minutes.

Atmospheric
pressure

Time

b Sketch a graph of the gas pressure inside the tyres during this
30 minutes.

Gas pressure
in tyres

Time

63