Free body diagrams
Free Body Diagrams
For this lab, you will be provided with various simple setups in the lab that you can explore. You will also have access to video clips of these same systems that you can access within this manual.
You will be drawing the free body diagrams for these objects when they are in equilibrium.
For this lab, you MUST use the following notation for labelling forces:
F by, on
where F denotes the type of force as follows:
N = normal force
T = tension
Fs = spring force
w = gravitational force from earth
M = magnetic force
fs = static friction
fk = kinetic friction
Any contact force should be drawn so that the tail of the vector touches the contact surface. Non-contact force vectors can be drawn at the centre of mass.
Use the diagrams provided on this sheet or draw them for yourself.
After the first exercise, you will be prompted to ask your lab instructor to check that your diagrams and notation are correct.