Contact & Non-Contact Forces
Physics: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 5.1.6
Contact and Non-contact Forces
A force is a push or a pull that acts on an object when it interacts with another object. All forces between objects are either:
Contact forces
- Contact forces happen when two objects are physically touching.
- Friction, air resistance, tension and normal contact force are all examples of contact forces.
Non-contact forces
- Non-contact forces happen when objects are separated (not touching).
- Gravitational force, electrostatic force and magnetic force are all examples of non-contact forces.
Test yourself on Contact & Non-Contact Forces
Which of these are examples of non-contact forces?
Which of these is a non-contact force?