Can be defined as a push or pull in a specific direction.

The force exerted can be affected by different variables such as mass, shape etc. Some forces can be defined by how they behave or the situation in which they occur e.g. Gravitational force, friction or contact force.

Gravitational force is the pull exerted on objects by the Earth. Gravity is related to the mass of the object i.e. The greater the mass, the stronger the effect of gravity. This is known as weight and calculated as W = m x g, where g (gravitational force) has the given value of 10 Newtons (N). Because gravitational force has a direction, it is known as a vector. Mass has only a physical quality so it is known as a scalar.

Friction is the force exerted when one object moves against another object in a specific direction e.g. pushing a book along the surface of the table. In other words the force that opposes relative motion. Friction is also affected by variables, such as the texture of the table surface and the weight of the book. A by product of friction is thermal energy i.e. heat. This can be reduced by altering a variable.

Contact force is the force exerted by two objects on each other when they are in contact e.g. The force of your body on your chair and the force of the chair on your body. In the case of contact force there will be some compression of the objects as they interact with each other. Even though there is no movement, this is still a vector as the force is being exerted in a specific direction.

The direction that a force is exerted in will be its vector. More than one force can be exerted on an object in more than one direction. Vectors moving in the same direction will be added together and give an increased value, whereas vectors working in different directions could cancel each other out and give a reduced value. To equal forces working in opposite directions will result in equilibrium.

There are different effects of forces including velocity, acceleration, pressure (compression), resistance (density), stress, torsion, rotation and equilibrium. Materials will behave in different ways under these different forces. The selection of a material must consider its properties in relation to the types of forces it will experience.

Stress is defined as the normal force per unit area or = F/A. Strain is defined as extension per unit length or = e/l Stress and strain are not affected by the dimensions of the sample tested so two wires of different thickness could have the same amount of strain exerted by different forces. The strength of a material is measured in terms of its ultimate tensile strength ( when it breaks).

The Young modulus is used to measure the relative stiffness/rigidity of a material by using stress and strain. Young modulus = stress /strain or E = / = F/A e/l = Fl/eA

The greater the value of the Young modulus, the stiffer the material.

The elasticity of a material refers to the ability to stretch out of the original shape and then return to that original shape after stretching. Plasticity refers to the ability to be stretched out of shape but to be unable to return to the original shape after stretching. Hookes Law states that the extension of a sample is proportional to the stretching force or e F. Metals and springs can obey Hookes Law up to the limit of proportionality, at which point they break.

No material is absolutely rigid. They will all experience some change of shape is a force is exerted on them, although this force may be too small to detect with the naked eye. Certain materials are more resistant to stress than others. It does depend on the shape and thickness of the material, as to how resistant it will be. Compare aluminium used in a soft drink can and in the superstructure of an aeroplane.