CONTACT FORCES

Contact force - is a force that acts at the point of contact between two objects,
[1]
in
contrast to bod forces! Contact forces are described b Newton"s #aws of $otion, as with
a## other forces in dna$ics!
Contact force is the force in which an object co$es in contact with another object!
Contact forces are %bi&%ito%s and are responsib#e for $ost 'isib#e interactions between
$acroscopic co##ections of $atter! (%shin) a car %p a hi## or *ic*in) a ba## or p%shin) a
des* across a roo$ are so$e of the e'erda e+a$p#es where contact forces are at wor*!
,n the first case the force is contin%o%s# app#ied b the person on the car, whi#e in the
second case the force is de#i'ered in a short i$p%#se! Certain contact forces describe
specific pheno$ena and are i$portant eno%)h to ha'e been )i'en %ni&%e na$es! The
$ost co$$on instances of this inc#%defriction, nor$a# force, and tension! Accordin) to
forces, contact force $a a#so be described as the p%sh e+perienced when two objects are
pressed to)ether!
Non-contact forces-,n the Standard -ode# of $odern phsics,it is the fo%r f%nda$enta#
forces of nat%re!The stron) and wea* interaction pri$ari# dea# with forces within ato$s,
whi#e )ra'itationa# effects are on# ob'io%s on a $acroscopic sca#e! -o#ec%#ar and
&%ant%$ phsics show that the e#ectro$a)netic force is the f%nda$enta# interaction
responsib#e for contact forces! The interaction between $acroscopic objects can be
ro%)h# described as res%#tin) fro$ the e#ectro$a)netic interactions between protons and
e#ectrons of the ato$ic constit%ents of these objects! E'erda objects do not actually
to%ch each other. rather, contact forces are the res%#t of the interactions of the e#ectrons at
or near the s%rfaces of the objects /e+chan)e force0! This inc#%des friction!
Applied Force - is a force that is app#ied to an object b a person or another object! ,f a
person is p%shin) a des* across the roo$, then there is an app#ied force actin) %pon the
object! The app#ied force is the force e+erted on the des* b the person!
CONTACT FORCES
Fapp
Spring
Force
-The
sprin)
force is
the force
e+erted
b a
co$pressed or stretched sprin) %pon an object that is attached to it! An object that
co$presses or stretches a sprin) is a#was acted %pon b a force that restores the object to
its rest or e&%i#ibri%$ position! For $ost sprin)s /specifica##, for those that are said to
obe 12oo*e"s 3aw10, the $a)nit%de of the force is direct# proportiona# to the a$o%nt of
stretch or co$pression of the sprin)
Normal Force -The
nor$a# force is the
s%pport force e+erted
%pon an object that is
in contact with
another stab#e object!
For e+a$p#e, if a boo* is restin) %pon a s%rface, then the s%rface is e+ertin) an %pward
force %pon the boo* in order to s%pport the wei)ht of the boo*! On occasions, a nor$a#
force is e+erted hori4onta## between two objects that are in contact with each other! For
instance, if a person #eans a)ainst a wa##, the wa## p%shes hori4onta## on the person!
Fnor$
CONTACT FORCES
Air Resistance Force
-The air resistance is a
specia# tpe of
frictiona# force that
acts %pon objects as
the tra'e# thro%)h the
air! The force of air
resistance is often
obser'ed to oppose the
$otion of an object! This force wi## fre&%ent# be ne)#ected d%e to its ne)#i)ib#e
$a)nit%de /and d%e to the fact that it is $athe$atica## diffic%#t to predict its 'a#%e0! ,t is
$ost noticeab#e for objects that tra'e# at hi)h speeds /e!)!, a s*di'er or a downhi## s*ier0
or for objects with #ar)e s%rface areas!
Fair
Frictional Force -The
friction force is the force
e+erted b a s%rface as an
object $o'es across it or
$a*es an effort to $o'e
across it! There are at #east
two tpes of friction force -
s#idin) and static friction!
Tho%)ht it is not a#was the
case, the friction force
often opposes the $otion of
an object! For e+a$p#e, if a boo* s#ides across the s%rface of a des*, then the des* e+erts
a friction force in the opposite direction of its $otion! Friction res%#ts fro$ the two
s%rfaces bein) pressed to)ether c#ose#, ca%sin) inter$o#ec%#ar attracti'e forces between
$o#ec%#es of different s%rfaces! As s%ch, friction depends %pon the nat%re of the two
s%rfaces and %pon the de)ree to which the are pressed to)ether! The $a+i$%$ a$o%nt
of friction force that a s%rface can e+ert %pon an object can be ca#c%#ated %sin) the
for$%#a be#ow5
Ffrict 6 7 8 Fnor$
Tensional Force -
CONTACT FORCES
The tension force is the force that is trans$itted thro%)h a strin), rope, cab#e or wire
when it is p%##ed ti)ht b forces actin) fro$ opposite ends! The tension force is directed
a#on) the #en)th of the wire and p%##s e&%a## on the objects on the opposite ends of the
wire!
Ftens