The law of detachment states that:-
“The equal and opposite forces are applied in two opposite directions results in the detachment of the object.”
This force could be an applied force, gravitational force, drag force, or tensional force. Here is a list of the law of detachment examples that we are going to discuss below:-
Tensional Force in a Rope due to Heavy Load
A tensional force is a force exerted in the rope or string equally and in the opposite direction. Suppose a man is pulling the object with the help of the rope, then the tensional force is created in the rope due to the pulling force by a man in the direction of the object and an equal amount of resistive force is generated from the object in the direction towards man.
If the tensional force in the rope is beyond the resistivity of the rope, then the rope will detach from the point of the center of equivalent force between the two.
Read more on How to find tension force in a pulley: Steps, problem, examples.
Torque on the Object in Centripetal Force
Consider an object attached to one end of the rope and another end of the rope is held in the hand of the boy and he is rotating the object in a circular path. The object moving in circular motion experiences a torque on the object that keeps it rotating in a circular motion.
If the boy suddenly releases the rope from his hand, then the object will detach from his hand and will travel in the direction tangential to the circular path traced by the object.
Read more on How to find centripetal acceleration: different use cases and problems with facts.
Shading of Leaves
Leaves shaded from a node of the tree also give an example of detachment law. When the leave gets wither, and the air resistive force is incident on the leaves, the leaves get detached from the nodes and falls down.
Plucking Fruits from the Tree
The force is applied to plug the fruit from the tree. The fruit is attached to the tree from the node.
On applying the force to plug the fruit, the equal and opposite for the generated across the node of the tree bearing fruit. This force and the force due to gravity are responsible for the detachment of the fruit from the tree.
Read more on Is Gravity A Conservative Force: Exhaustive Insights.
Destructive Plates
The destructive plate means the separation of the two plates apart from each other due to the exertion of the external forces in opposite directions that cause landslides or volcanic eruptions or other destructive activities along the boundary of the plates.
The activities in the asthenosphere are responsible for the migration of the plates floating over it that causes either the construction or destruction of the plate. Well, the destruction of plates is an example that follows the law of detachment.
Exfoliations
Exfoliations are seen in the rocks due to changing weather conditions. During hot days there is a rarefaction between the rock particles as the high intensity radiations cause the removal of water from the rock. While during cold nights, there is a contraction of the molecules in the rocks. Rigorous activities cause the exfoliations in the rock masses thus detaching the mass into groups.
Breaking a Glass
Breaking of glass is also an example of detachment, whereupon breaking the pieces of the glass detach from each other.
Read more on How to Calculate Mass from Force and Distance: Several Approaches and Problem Examples.
Uprooted Trees
The force is applied to uproot the tree from the ground. At the same time, the equal and opposite force is exerted by the roots of the tree to keep the tree in place.
Tug of War
The force on the rope during the tug of war is removed when the tension force exerting on the opposite side is high enough to overcome the force exerted on the opposite side. The direction of the force is reversed and the feet of the players detached from the initial position.
Read more on Negative Tension: What, Why, When, Examples, How to find.
Erosion of Rocks
The rock slides from the original position due to externally applied forces and air resistance.
The rocks detach from the original rock basin upon erosion and migrate to the other locality on carrying away by external agencies like air, or water flow.
Cutting
Cutting something apart from the matter is also an example of detachment. Upon cutting the part of an object with sharp weapons, the mass of the object gets detached from the remaining part of the mass. The pressure is exerted on the small surface of the object that is responsible for the cleavage to separate apart the object into two parts.
Read more on Tension vs Compression: Comparative Tabular Analysis And Facts.
Cello Tape
To cut a cello tap using a cutter or by hand, the tensional force is created on pulling the cello tap from both directions. Since it is very delicate, the tensional force exerted on the tap is minute and detaches easily on the application of small force.
Detachment of Handle of Bag
When the weight of the bag is heavier, it becomes difficult to manage the entire load on the tiny handles of the carry bag, because the tensional force supporting the handle is small. In that scenario, the handles of the bag may detach and roll down from the grip.
Read more on 24+ Example Of Compression: Detailed Explanations.
Unplugging from Socket
Unplugging the adapter or charger from the wire is also an example that explains the law of detachment.
The force is applied outward to unplug the pin, while the equal force is exerted in the opposite direction within the wall by the socket.
Tearing
There are different types of tear that leads to the detachment caused by the pulling force. The force applied to the object can tear off the object if the density and the potential of the object are less.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the gravitational force responsible for the detachment of objects?
The gravitational force pulls the object towards the surface of the Earth.
Due to this the object hanging above the surface of the Earth having greater potential energy tends to detach and accelerate down towards the ground if the tensional force holding the object cancels out due to some reason.
Does the elongation of the object lead to detachment?
The elongation of the object is due to the exertion of the force in opposite directions.
The elongation of the force will exert a tensional force across the object. If this force increases then the detachment will occur in the middle of the object.
Also Read:
- Elastic collision examples
- Anaerobic respiration examples
- Alloy examples
- Endothermic reaction examples
- Chemical change examples
- Diffraction of sound examples
- Entropy examples
- Wave interference examples
- Exothermic examples
- Periodic motion examples
Hi, I’m Akshita Mapari. I have done M.Sc. in Physics. I have worked on projects like Numerical modeling of winds and waves during cyclone, Physics of toys and mechanized thrill machines in amusement park based on Classical Mechanics. I have pursued a course on Arduino and have accomplished some mini projects on Arduino UNO. I always like to explore new zones in the field of science. I personally believe that learning is more enthusiastic when learnt with creativity. Apart from this, I like to read, travel, strumming on guitar, identifying rocks and strata, photography and playing chess.
