This key facts covers Contact vs Non-Contact Forces within Forces & Their Effects for GCSE Physics. Revise Forces & Their Effects in Forces for GCSE Physics with 25 exam-style questions and 11 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 2 of 13 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 2 of 13
Practice
25 questions
Recall
11 flashcards
📚 Contact vs Non-Contact Forces
CONTACT forces — objects must touch:
- Friction — opposes sliding motion between surfaces
- Air resistance (drag) — friction from air molecules
- Tension — pulling force in ropes, cables, strings
- Normal contact force — support force perpendicular to surface
- Upthrust — upward force from fluids (buoyancy)
NON-CONTACT forces — act at a distance:
- Gravitational force (weight) — attraction between masses
- Electrostatic force — between charged objects
- Magnetic force — between magnets or magnetic materials