Force and Energy(this is really confusing)

In summary, sitting on a chair involves a downward force from gravity and an upward force from the chair to prevent falling. When getting off the chair, the chair no longer has anything pushing down on it, so it stops applying an upwards force. The chair itself was pushing the person up, so it wouldn't go flying into the air without an external force.
  • #1
Jandaberg123
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So I learned that if you sit on a chair, you are applying downwards force because of gravity, and the chair is applying an upwards force to stop you from falling down. However I thought that if you remove the chair, you would fall, but when you get off the chair, why doesn't the chair fly into the air since it has force? I am really confused, could anyone please help?
 
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  • #2
There is nothing pushing down on it anymore, so it doesn't apply an upwards force anymore either. To be clear, the chair itself was pushing you up, so even if it did provide a force still the chair wouldn't go flying off into the air. That would require something pushing the chair up.
 

Related to Force and Energy(this is really confusing)

1. What is the difference between force and energy?

Force and energy are closely related concepts, but they refer to different physical quantities. Force is a push or pull that can cause an object to accelerate, while energy is the ability to do work. In other words, force is a vector quantity that describes the interaction between two objects, while energy is a scalar quantity that describes the state of an object.

2. How are force and energy related?

Force and energy are related through the concept of work. When a force acts on an object and causes it to move, work is being done. The amount of work done is directly proportional to the magnitude of the force and the distance over which it is applied. This work is then converted into energy, either in the form of kinetic energy (the energy of motion) or potential energy (the energy stored in an object's position or configuration).

3. What are the different types of forces?

There are four fundamental forces in physics: gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force. Gravity is responsible for the attraction between objects with mass, while electromagnetism is responsible for interactions between charged particles. The strong nuclear force holds atomic nuclei together, and the weak nuclear force is involved in radioactive decay.

4. How is energy conserved in a system?

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. This means that in a closed system, the total energy remains constant. For example, if a ball is dropped from a height, its potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as it falls. Even when energy seems to "disappear," it is actually being converted into a different form.

5. How do forces and energy affect motion?

Forces and energy play a crucial role in determining the motion of an object. According to Newton's first law of motion, an object will remain at rest or in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. This means that forces can cause objects to accelerate, decelerate, or change direction. Additionally, energy can be transferred between objects through forces, affecting their motion. For example, a collision between two objects results in a transfer of kinetic energy.

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