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The Invisible Push and Pull
📖 The Invisible Push and Pull
Right now, you're being pulled toward the centre of the Earth with a force of several hundred Newtons. You don't fall through your chair because it pushes back with EXACTLY the same force. Every force has consequences — they can change an object's speed, direction, or shape. Some forces need contact (friction, tension, air resistance), while others act at a distance like invisible hands (gravity, magnetism, electrostatic). Understanding forces is understanding why ANYTHING moves or stays still!
Contact vs Non-Contact Forces
CONTACT forces — objects must touch:
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🧠 Memory Aid
Contact vs Non-contact: "FANT vs GME"
Contact forces: Friction, Air resistance, Normal contact, Tension (FANT)
Non-contact forces: Gravity, Magnetic, Electrostatic (GME)
For Weight vs Mass: "Mass is Mine, Weight is Where" — your mass is the same whether you're in London, on the Moon, or on Mars. Weight depends on WHERE you are (the local gravitational field).
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 28
What is a force?
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This topic in real past papers
Every real exam question we've found on forces & their effects, with a full worked answer.