Forces
Contact and Non-Contact Forces
To identify contact and non-contact forces and explain how forces arise from interactions between objects.

What you will learn

What makes a force a contact force

What makes a force a non-contact force

How to identify forces acting on an object

Which objects are interacting to produce a force

How to classify forces in everyday situations
Explanation
Contact forces require objects to interact through physical contact, including friction, drag, tension and normal contact force. Gravity, magnetic force and electrostatic force act without direct contact. A force is an interaction between objects; identify the object experiencing each force before drawing a force diagram. Example: State a contact force on a swimmer. Water resistance or upthrust. Use the stated conditions to connect the scientific model with the observation. Check your reasoning.
