Mechanical force is a force that can be measured and can be calculated by the application of Newton’s second law. The most common example of a mechanical force is gravity, which is the force that makes things fall to the ground.

The two types of mechanical forces are static and dynamic. Static forces are those that do not change with time. Examples include friction, tension, and compression. Dynamic forces do change with time, such as acceleration or deceleration.

A static mechanical force can also be referred to as an equilibrium force or a conservative force. These types of forces are always in balance no matter what direction they’re pushing or pulling in. There are two types of static mechanical forces: elastic potential energy (EPE) and gravitational potential energy (GPE).

Elastic potential energy occurs when an object is stretched or compressed by a spring, such as when you jump on a trampoline or when you bounce on a pogo stick; gravitational potential energy occurs when an object is moved toward or away from Earth by its own weight, such as when you lift yourself up using your arms while standing on Earth.

Last modified: October 4, 2022