Can Anyone Explain the Concept of Tractive Forces in Nature?

[pgisetto]

Without getting into a mathematical explanation, can anyone who reads this posting explain to me how there can be a "tractive" force in our world. For example, a vessel that is evacuated with atmospheric pressure on the outside is said to have been "sucked in" (a tractive cousin) while in reality the vessel collapsed due to the external forces (pressure) on the outside (a pushing force). When you bring a strong magnet into proximity of a steel ball bearing, the ball bearing at some point will begin to move toward the magnet- someone might say that the ball bearing was being drawn-attracted-pulled toward the magnet ! I don't buy it! I have a theory, but I want to hear from an educated person what their spin is on this example. Please answer! This seeming mystery/enigma between "pushing" and "pulling" forces has been bothering me for so long that I can't stand it anymore. I need help!

 

[Valerie Park]

The seeming contradiction between "pushing" and "pulling" forces is actually a result of a more fundamental concept known as inertia. Inertia is the tendency of an object to remain in its current state of motion. This means that an object will remain at rest or continue moving in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. In the case of the evacuated vessel, the atmospheric pressure outside the vessel exerted a force on the walls, pushing them inward. This force was greater than the internal pressure of the vessel, so the walls were unable to resist and collapsed. In the case of the magnet and ball bearing, the magnet exerts a force on the ball bearing, which results in it being pulled towards the magnet. This force is known as a magnetic field and is caused by the alignment of electrons in the magnet. The electrons interact with the electrons in the ball bearing, causing them to become aligned and thus creating a force of attraction between the two objects. So, although it may seem like the magnet is pulling the ball bearing towards it, in reality it is the force of the magnet's magnetic field that is doing the work. The ball bearing is simply responding to the force that is being exerted on it.

 

[sir-pinski]

The concept of tractive forces in nature can be quite confusing, as it seems to be a contradiction to the idea of forces pushing or pulling on objects. However, tractive forces are simply a way of describing the interaction between two objects that results in one object moving towards the other.

In the example of a vessel being "sucked in" due to atmospheric pressure, it may seem like a pulling force, but it is actually the external pressure pushing on the vessel that causes it to collapse. Similarly, in the case of a magnet attracting a steel ball bearing, it may appear to be a pulling force, but it is actually a result of the magnetic field pushing on the ball bearing and causing it to move towards the magnet.

One way to think about tractive forces is to consider the idea of potential energy. When two objects are in close proximity to each other, they have the potential to move towards each other due to the forces between them. This potential energy is then converted into kinetic energy as the objects move towards each other.

In other words, tractive forces are simply a way of describing the interactions between objects that result in movement. It is important to remember that forces can be described in different ways, but they all ultimately result in the same outcome - the movement of objects. I hope this helps to clarify the concept of tractive forces for you.