Forces in action________________________________________________________________16. Forces and equilibrium
We are surrounded by object in movement, but also by objects that do not move: the table on the floor, the lamp hanging from the ceiling or the book on the table.We say the objects are in equilibrium because they are stationary. The Earth´s force of attraction (weight) is acting on all the objects, but, if they continue at rest, it means that the resultant force acting on each other must be 0. There must be some other forces acting on each object.A body is in equilibrium when the sum of the resultant forces acting on it is zero. We can say that the rope and the handkerchief will not move. We say that it is in equilibrium.Balanced forces are forces where the effect of one force is cancelled out by another. Check out about this concept in the BBC Bitesize webpage by clicking on the link in the menu bar.