The different types of forces can be broadly categorized into contact forces and non-contact forces.
Contact Forces
These forces occur when two objects physically touch each other. Common types include:
- Applied Force: A force exerted by a person or object, such as pushing or pulling something
- Frictional Force: The force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact. It has two main types:
- Static friction prevents objects from starting to move.
- Kinetic friction acts when objects slide past each other
- Normal Force: The perpendicular force exerted by a surface supporting an object resting on it
- Tension Force: The force transmitted through a string, rope, or cable when pulled tight
- Spring Force: The force exerted by a compressed or stretched spring, which tries to restore the spring to its equilibrium position
- Air Resistance: A type of frictional force acting opposite to the motion of an object moving through air
Non-Contact Forces
These forces act over a distance without physical contact between objects:
- Gravitational Force: The attractive force between masses, such as the Earth pulling objects toward its center
- Magnetic Force: The force of attraction or repulsion between magnetic materials or poles, acting over a distance
- Electrostatic Force: The force between charged particles; opposite charges attract, like charges repel
- Strong Nuclear Force: The force that holds protons and neutrons together in an atomic nucleus, acting at very short ranges
- Weak Nuclear Force: A fundamental force involved in certain types of radioactive decay, also acting at subatomic scales
These forces govern interactions in everyday life and the universe, from pushing objects to the forces holding atoms together
