[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-657815-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-657815-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","free-body-diagrams-forces-and-vector-labeling-basics","Free Body Diagrams - Forces and Vector Labeling Basics","","Free body diagrams provide a systematic way to organize forces acting on a single object. The text explains how to sketch the object, place a central dot as the point of force application, draw force vectors in the correct direction, and label each vector by force type without using numbers or calculations. Multiple examples cover books, laptops, boxes on floors with friction, objects on slopes, and forces in equilibrium, emphasizing exact symbol usage and the idea of balanced forces.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/free-body-diagrams-forces-and-vector-labeling-basics/657815/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/free-body-diagrams-forces-and-vector-labeling-basics/657815.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Malam Tenang","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-26",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":30},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What is a free body diagram and what does it show?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"A free body diagram is a simple sketch of an object showing all the forces acting on it. Only forces on the chosen object are included.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"How do you draw a correct free body diagram?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Sketch the object, place a dot at its center, draw a vector for each force starting at the dot and pointing outward, then label each vector by its force type. Do not include numbers or calculations.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"When are forces in equilibrium in a free body diagram?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"Forces are in equilibrium when the vectors cancel out, producing no resultant. Tracing around the diagram ends where it starts, indicating all forces balance.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},657815,1792990993,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":30,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":30,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":79,"read_time":111},962093532863,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","We will need a way to organize forces that are acting on a particular object. The easiest way to do this is by using a free body diagram.  \n● A free body diagram is just a simple sketch of the object showing all the forces that are acting on it.  \n● To draw a proper free body diagram, you must follow these steps:  \n1. Draw a quick sketch of the object. Often a simple box will do.  \n2. Place a dot in the centre of the object. We basically treat this as the spot that all the forces are thought to act upon.  \n3. For every force acting on that object (we don't care about forces acting on any other objects), draw a vector that shows the size and direction of the force. Each vector must start from the dot and point outwards.  \n4. Label each vector based on the type of force it is. Do not include numbers or calculations!  \nExample 1: Sketch a free body diagram for a book being held up by a person.  \nWe draw a quick sketch of the book, and then put a dot in the centre.  \nNext, we identify that there are two forces acting on this book; the force of gravity pulling it down, and the applied force of a person pushing it up. Since  \nthe book is just being held up (not accelerating up or down), we can assume that the two forces are equal, so we will draw the vectors the same size.  \nFree body diagrams must show a wide variety of forces acting on an object.  \n● These are the common forces acting on objects that you need to memorize:  \nDrawing 1: Free body diagram of forces on a book.  \nFg = force due to gravity Fa = applied force  \nFf = force due to friction FT = force of tension FN = normal force  \nWarning!  \nIt is critical that you label the forces on your diagrams using exactly the symbols shown here. The use of capitals and lower case letters does matter!  \nFNET = net force *Not drawn onfree body diagrams*  \nAny of the forces listed here that have not been mentioned yet will be discussed in detail as they are introduced in the following examples.  \nExample 2: Sketch a free body diagram of a laptop sitting on a table.  \n● We know that there will be a force due to gravity (Fg) pulling the laptop down, but if that was the only force it should be dropping down towards the ground.  \n● There must be a force acting against the force of gravity that is holding the laptop up. This is happening because the table top is strong enough to hold up the laptop.  \n● We call this upwards force the normal force  \nDrawing 2: Free body diagram for example 2.  \n2023-06-27 © [studyphysics.ca](studyphysics.ca) Page 1 of 3 / Section 3.1  \n(FN). A normal force is exerted upwards by a surface (like a table or a floor) and is perpendicular to the surface.  \n● As long as the object is not breaking through the table top or flying up into the air, the force due to gravity and the normal force must be equal. That way they just cancel out and the object stays where it is.  \nExample 3: You are trying to push a heavy box across the floor. It's causing you some trouble because the floor is not very smooth. Sketch a free body diagram of the box.  \n●  \n●  \n●  \n●  \nWe still have force due to gravity and normal force, since it is still an object on a surface.  \nYou are trying to push it sideways, so that will be an applied force that you are exerting.  \nIt's tough to push because of friction between the box and the floor, so we'll also need to draw a force due to friction.  \n● Force due to friction (Ff)  \nalways opposes the motion of an  \nobject. It is parallel to the  \nsurface the object is on.  \nNotice the normal force and force due to gravity are still equal. The applied force and force due to friction are also equal to each other. This would mean  \nthat the object is moving at a constant velocity which includes not moving at all v = 0 m/s (more on this in later sections) .  \nExample 4: You are riding a toboggan down a sloped hill. Sketch the free body diagram of the toboggan.  \nWe will have a situation similar to the one above, except that it is on a slope and there is no ","cbCaidhw9XeW7ZMB","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaidhw9XeW7ZMB","pdf",181201,"English","# Free body diagram basics\n## Drawing steps\n## Common forces and symbols\n## Example: book\n## Example: laptop on a table\n## Example: box on a rough floor\n## Example: toboggan on a slope\n## Example: person using a pole and equilibrium\n# Homework","[{\"question\":\"What is a free body diagram and what does it show?\",\"answer\":\"A free body diagram is a simple sketch of an object showing all the forces acting on it. Only forces on the chosen object are included.\"},{\"question\":\"How do you draw a correct free body diagram?\",\"answer\":\"Sketch the object, place a dot at its center, draw a vector for each force starting at the dot and pointing outward, then label each vector by its force type. Do not include numbers or calculations.\"},{\"question\":\"When are forces in equilibrium in a free body diagram?\",\"answer\":\"Forces are in equilibrium when the vectors cancel out, producing no resultant. Tracing around the diagram ends where it starts, indicating all forces balance.\"}]","Free Body Diagrams - Forces and Vector Labeling Basics | PDF"]