A Free Body Diagram (FBD) is a graphical representation of an object that isolates it from its surroundings and shows all the forces acting on it. It is a tool used in physics and engineering to analyze the forces acting on an object and to determine its motion. A free body diagram is a visual representation of the forces acting on an object, and it is used to determine the net force acting on the object. The net force is the vector sum of all the forces acting on the object.
To draw a free body diagram, you must first identify the object of interest and then draw a dot to represent it. Next, you must draw arrows to represent all the forces acting on the object. The arrows should be labeled with the name of the force and the direction in which it acts. The length of the arrow represents the magnitude of the force. The direction of the arrow represents the direction of the force.
There are two types of forces that can act on an object: contact forces and non-contact forces. Contact forces are forces that act on an object when it is in contact with another object. Examples of contact forces include friction, tension, and normal force. Non-contact forces are forces that act on an object without it being in contact with another object. Examples of non-contact forces include gravity, electric force, and magnetic force.
Free body diagrams are useful in solving problems involving forces acting on an object. They allow you to visualize the forces acting on an object and to determine the net force acting on the object. Once you have determined the net force, you can use Newton’s second law of motion to determine the acceleration of the object. Newton’s second law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on the object and inversely proportional to its mass. Mathematically, this can be expressed as:
$$sum F = ma$$
where $sum F$ is the net force acting on the object, $m$ is the mass of the object, and $a$ is the acceleration of the object.
In summary, a free body diagram is a visual representation of the forces acting on an object. It is a useful tool in physics and engineering for analyzing the forces acting on an object and determining its motion. By using free body diagrams, you can determine the net force acting on an object and use Newton’s second law of motion to determine its acceleration..