The Physics Classroom » Teacher Toolkits » Forces in 2 Dimensions

Forces in Two Dimensions

The Forces in Two Dimensions Toolkit provides teachers with standards-based resources for designing lesson plans and units that pertain to situations that involve forces acting at angles to the traditional horizontal and vertical axes. Such topics include situations in which angled forces are used to move objects horizontally, situations in which signs and other objects are hanging by cables that make angles to the vertical, situations involving inclined planes, and situations involving modified Atwood's machines. The treatment of such situations typically includes a wealth of mathematics and tends to be heavy on problem-solving. These topics emphasize the use of Newton's second law, free-body diagrams, equilibrium concepts, vector components, vector resolution, and vector addition. All these situations and concept are introduced and discussed at The Physics Classroom Tutorial. The Toolkit is supported by Lesson 3 of the Motion and Forces in Two Dimensions Chapter at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.


Each toolkit can be viewed in three different ways.

  1. Forces in Two Dimensions - HTML Version of Complete Toolkit

    The HTML version of the complete toolkit contains all the resources with full descriptions and links to their location on the web. The complete toolkit also includes learning objectives and references the pertinent standards addressed by the resources.
     

  2. Forces in Two Dimensions - PDF Version of Complete Toolkit

    The PDF version of the complete toolkit contains all the resources with full descriptions in a printer-friendly format. Learning objectives and relevant standards are also included in the PDF Version of the complete toolkit.
     

  3. Forces in Two Dimensions - Toolkit To Go

    The Toolkit To Go is a 2-page PDF document that provides an abbreviated version of the complete toolkit. It contains as much information as could fit on two pages. Toolkits to Go can be photo-copied back-to-back, hole-punched, and filed in a teacher's folder or three-ring binder for future reference.