Balanced force is self-explanatory in that a system of forces is in a state of equilibrium. In a realistic case, multiple forces act on a body. These forces can act in different directions and with different magnitudes. Based on directions and magnitude, forces can be classified into balanced and unbalanced forces. In the case of balanced force, the forces acting on a body are equal and opposite. For example, our weight is balanced by an equal and opposite normal force. In this article, we look at 20 different daily life examples of balanced forces.
Examples of balanced forces
- Resting against a wall
- Lying down
- Aircraft in a steady-flight
- Floating in water
- Standing in ground
- Tug of war equally balanced teams
- Fruit hanging from a tree
- Ball hanging from a rope
- Cruise control
- Equally matched opponents in handle wrestling
- Book on a table
- Sitting on a chair
- Gecko lizard
- Weighing balance with balanced weight
- Standing on a travellator
- objects on a conveyor belt
- Water droplets on a windowpane
- two sticks tied by a rope
- Nail in the wall
- Spectacles on our nose
You may also read our article on 10 examples of an unbalanced force.
- Resting against a wall: This is an example of an action-reaction type of balanced force. When we rest against a wall, we push the wall with our body weight. In return, the wall pushes us back with a reaction force. Now, according to newton’s third law of motion that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, these forces are balanced.
Lying down: When we lie down, the gravitational force tries to pull our body with a force equal to our weight. The ground provides an equal and opposite force to ensure that we don’t sink into the Earth.
Aircraft in a steady-flight: This is a state of equilibrium an aircraft attains when the lift of the plane is balanced by the weight and the thrust is balanced by the drag.
Tug of war equally balanced teams: When there are two equally matched teams in a game of tug of war, then both the teams won’t move. They maintain an equilibrium. That means the force exerted by both teams is equal and opposite and cancels out each other. Hence the system is balanced.
Fruit hanging from a tree: This is an example of tension-aided balanced forces. The gravitational force pulls the fruit with a force equal to the weight of the fruit. But, the tension developed in the branch holding the fruit is equal and opposite. But, when the weight exceeds the fracture point of the branch, it breaks.
Ball hanging from a rope: This example is similar to the ball hanging from a tree. Except that in this example the rope is generally stronger and will balance the forces for a long time.
Floating in water: The water provides an upward thrust that can be defined by Archemedie’s principle as equal to the force of gravity exerted on the displaced fluid. When the object is floating, the gravitational pull is balanced by the upward thrust.
Standing in-ground: When we stand on the ground we are exerting a force on the ground due to the force of gravity on us. But, this force is balanced by an equal and opposite reaction force.
Cruise control: In a car that is moving under cruise control, though the car is moving the forces are balanced out to give a zero net acceleration.
Equally matched opponents in handle wrestling: This is similar to an example of tug-of-war. The opponents are pushing against each other. In the case of equally matched opponents, the forces are equal and opposite and cancel out each other.
Book on a table: This is a classic example of balanced forces. A book on a level table will never move unless pushed by an external force. The weight of the book is balanced by the reaction force. If the table is slightly titled, then the book will move due to the unbalanced forces. As the component of normal force will be less than the force of gravity.
Sitting on a chair: This example is similar to the book on a table. Our body weight is balanced by the reaction force of the chair.
Gecko lizard: This is an example of a frictional force-aided balanced force system. A gecko lizard is able to stand on the floor of the walls vertically. The force of gravity is balanced by the frictional force of the lizard against the wall. The friction is developed due to the Van der Waal forces of attraction.
Weighing balance with balanced weight: Weighing balance is used to measure the weight of an object against a standard weight. The weighing pans attain an equilibrium state when both the weights are equal.
Standing on a travellator: When we are standing on top of a travellator, we are moving but the net acceleration is zero. The forces of the travellator, gravity, reaction force, and friction are balanced.
Objects on a conveyor belt: This example is similar to an object to a person traveling in a travellator. The static friction of the object supports it and stops it from falling down due to the force of the motion.
Water droplets on a windowpane: You might have noticed small water droplets stinking on the windowpane after a rainy day. This is due to static friction, which balances the gravitational force.
Two sticks tied by a rope: When two objects are tied by a rope, they attain a state of rest. The frictional force of the rope and the stick keep them in place.
Nail in the wall: The static friction between the nail and the wall keeps the nail in place and maintains a balanced state.
Spectacles on our nose: The force of gravity will try to pull our spectacles down. But the friction with the nose and ears stops it from falling down. Hence the system is balanced.
Can we consider an object at rest as an example of balanced force?
Yes, all objects at rest have forces acting equal and opposite which themselves and the net force is zero.
Can we consider an object in motion as an example of an unbalanced force?
This may not be true in all cases. For example, a car moving in a cruise control mode is an example of balanced force. The net force acting on the object is zero.
