BRAINCAKECondition for Equilibrium
An object acted on by several forces is in equilibrium only if two conditions for equilibrium are both met. There must be no resultant force, and there must be no resultant moment about any point.
No resultant force means the forces balance in every direction. Resolving horizontally and vertically, the upward forces equal the downward forces and the forces to the left equal the forces to the right. Without this the object would accelerate.
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Key terms in this lesson
- Moment
- The turning effect of a force about a pivot, equal to the force multiplied by the perpendicular distance from the pivot to the line of action of the force.
More in Forces in Equilibrium
- Stable Equilibrium
- Tilting and Toppling
- Tilting
- Toppling
- Objects On a Slope
- Free Body Force Diagrams
- Triangle of Forces
- How to Lift a Weight
All 20 lessons in Forces in Equilibrium · All AQA AS-level Physics topics