Average Force

The Average force analysis follows the mean force magnitude on a selected group along a path. It is useful for spotting strained regions, strongly driven motions, or frames where the system experiences unusually large forces.

Adding the plot

1. Open Path Analyzer.
2. Choose Average force in Observable.
3. Choose a Path.
4. Define the Group to analyze.
5. Click Add Force Series or Add Force Distribution.

Inputs

• One atom-containing selection is required.
• The chosen path must expose force data for the selected atoms.

Views

• Force series: follow the mean force magnitude over the path.
• Force distribution: inspect the distribution of sampled force magnitudes.

Key equation

For a selected atom set \(\mathcal{A}\), Path Analyzer computes the mean force magnitude at frame \(t\) as

\[ \bar{F}(t)=\frac{1}{|\mathcal{A}|}\sum_{a\in\mathcal{A}}\|\mathbf{F}_a(t)\| \]

Card settings

• Units can be switched after creation between Auto, pN, and nN.

Tip

• Use a focused selection when you care about one interface, motif, or active site.
• Use a broad selection when you want a whole-subsystem summary.
• Pair average force with Energy when you want to compare strong forces with the energetic profile.