What are Force Laws?


Lines-of-Force diagrams work for "inverse square Force Laws", but not all force laws are of that type.

What are Force Laws?

Force laws are formulae for reckoning the force between two objects. Familiar examples are:

Law
r (Distance) Dependance
Examples
[constant force]
F = const
force on a plow or
from steady wind
Hooke's Law
F = const * r
ideal spring
approx. chemical bond
Coulomb's Law
F = const / r2
"inverse square"
electrical charges
magnetic poles
gravity

Note that the most fundamental forces are "inverse square".

Think carefully about graphical representations of these forces and the corresponding energies,

remembering that F = dE / dr:

 

 


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