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Topic 9: Forces and their effects

2 dot points across 2 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What is the difference between contact and non-contact forces, and how do objects interact at a distance?

Contact and non-contact forces: the difference between them, examples of each, and how objects can interact at a distance through fields.
A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE Physics 9.1 and 9.2, covering the difference between contact and non-contact forces, examples of each, how objects interact at a distance through gravitational, magnetic and electrostatic fields, and the vector and scalar distinction for forces.
8 min answer →

How do you find a resultant force, and how can a single force be resolved into components?

Resolving and resultant forces: combining forces into a resultant, using scale vector diagrams, and resolving a single force into perpendicular components.
A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE Physics 9.3, covering how to find the resultant of forces, adding forces along a line, using scale vector diagrams (the parallelogram or tip-to-tail method) for forces at an angle, and resolving a single force into perpendicular components.
9 min answer →