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Contact and non-contact forces
Beginner
Contact forces need touching; gravity, electric and magnetic act at a distance.
Contact forces (normal, friction, tension, drag) act where bodies touch. Field forces (gravity, electric, magnetic) act across empty space through fields. Microscopically, contact forces are electromagnetic.
Gravity pulls a falling apple with no contact, while a table supports a book by contact.
Contact force on a surface has two components: normal (perpendicular) and friction (parallel).
In more detail
Contact forces act when objects touch, such as friction, tension and the normal force. Non-contact forces act across a distance, such as gravity, electric and magnetic forces.
Real-world uses
- Magnets lifting scrap metal use a non-contact magnetic force.
- Brakes use contact friction between pads and discs.
- A magnet picking up a nail acts at a distance, while a hand pushing a trolley is a contact force.
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Frequently asked questions
Is gravity a contact force?
No. It is a non-contact force acting between masses at a distance.
Are all contact forces electromagnetic?
At the atomic level, yes. Normal force and friction ultimately come from electromagnetic interactions between surfaces.
Is gravity a contact force?
No. The Earth pulls on an object without touching it, so gravity is a non-contact force acting across space.
Related topics in Newton's Laws & Forces
What is a force? · Newton's first law · Inertia · Newton's second law