This key facts covers Resultant Force within Forces & Their Effects for GCSE Physics. Revise Forces & Their Effects in Forces for GCSE Physics with 28 exam-style questions and 11 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 5 of 13 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 5 of 13
Practice
28 questions
Recall
11 flashcards
🎯 Resultant Force
Definition: The single force that has the same effect as all the individual forces acting on an object combined.
For forces in a straight line:
- Same direction: ADD them
- Opposite directions: SUBTRACT (bigger − smaller)
- Direction is that of the larger force
Examples:
- 500 N forward + 200 N forward = 700 N forward
- 500 N forward + 300 N backward = 200 N forward
- 500 N up + 500 N down = 0 N (balanced)
Quick Check: A 5 kg object is on Earth where g = 10 N/kg. What is its weight?
Weight = m × g = 5 × 10 = 50 N. Remember: mass is 5 kg everywhere, but weight depends on the local gravitational field strength.
Keep building this topic
Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Forces & Their Effects. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.
Practice Questions for Forces & Their Effects
What is a force?
Explain what is meant by the resultant force on an object.
Quick Recall Flashcards
28 questions on Forces & Their Effects — practise free
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