Final answer:
To identify all forces acting on an object, determine the system of interest and draw a free-body diagram with all external forces represented as vectors. Do not include forces the object exerts on its environment or the net force.
Step-by-step explanation:
To identify all the forces acting on the object, one must follow a systematic approach. Firstly, determine the system of interest which will be the object under analysis. Subsequently, draw a free-body diagram showing the object as a point if it is considered as a particle with no size or shape. This diagram should include all external forces acting on the object as vectors, such as the normal force, friction, tension, spring force, weight, and any applied forces. It is important to remember not to include forces that the object exerts on its environment or the net force in the diagram.
Each force vector, if not already horizontal or vertical, can be resolved into its x- and y-components for ease of analysis when applying Newton's laws of motion. In cases where rotation is involved, it can be useful to identify the torque produced by each force about a chosen axis. Constructing accurate free-body diagrams is fundamental to understanding the net external forces and torques acting on the object and is an essential step in physics problem-solving.