Thursday, July 21, 2011

What is a force?

force is a "push or pull" acting on an object. There are two main categories of forces: contact forces and action-at-a-distance forces.


Contact Forces


  • Applied Force: the force applied to an object by a person or another object

  • Normal Force: the force that is exerted on an object that is associated with another stable object

  • Friction Force: the force exerted by a surface when an object moves across it

  • Air Resistance Force: the force that acts on an object as it moves through the air

  • Tension Force: the force that is exerted through a string or rope when it is pulled tight

  • Spring Force: the force exerted by a compressed or stretched spring

Action-at-a-Distance Forces


  • Gravitational Force: the force with which a very large object attracts another object to itself

  • Electrical Force: the force exerted between charged objects

  • Magnetic Force: the force exerted between charged objects due to their motion

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