Free Body Diagrams
This is a bungee jumper at the bottom of his trajectory. This is a pack of dogs pulling a sled. And this is a golf ball about to be struck. All of these scenarios can be represented by free body diagrams. Physical problems -- for example, calculating the force on the bungee jumper by the bungee cord -- are much easier to solve once you've drawn a complete and correct free body diagram. This video is part of the Representations video series. Information can be represented in words, through mathematical symbols, graphically, or in 3-D models. Representations are used to develop a deeper and more flexible understanding of objects, systems, and processes. Hello. My name is John Belcher. I am a professor in the physics department at MIT, and today I'll be talking with you about free body diagrams. Physics uses many different representations to aid with problem solving. Free body diagrams allow us to represent the forces on an object, thus enhancing our understanding of...