Contact & Non-Contact Forces

Cards (11)

  • Force
    A push or pull that acts on an object due to its interaction with another object
  • Newtons
    The unit used to measure force
  • Forces
    • Have both magnitude (measured in newtons) and direction
  • Vector quantities

    Quantities that have both magnitude and direction
  • Types of forces
    • Contact forces
    • Non-contact forces
  • Contact forces

    • Require the two objects to be physically touching
  • Normal contact force
    Also known as the reaction force, it is the equal and opposite force exerted by a surface to keep an object in position
  • Non-contact forces

    • Do not require the two objects to be touching
  • Types of non-contact forces
    • Gravitational force
    • Magnetic force
    • Electrostatic force
  • Fields of influence
    The surrounding area where non-contact forces can act on objects
  • As the distance between objects increases
    The strength of non-contact forces decreases