What Is Force Types Of Forces And Their Nature

May 16, 2024

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Introduction

When we apply push or pull on an object it is referred to as force. Push or pull occurs when two or more objects interact with one another. Force is used to change the position of the body. Force is defined as an external cause that produces or destroys motion in a body. Therefore Force is an external or internal agent that influences the natural state of motion of an object. Whenever the force is applied to an object it is measured in the form of Newton or dyne. The SI unit of the force is Newton.

Types of force

Force is an external cause that changes or tends to change the state of the body to which it is applied. Forces can be divided into two types:

Contact Forces
Non-contact Forces

Effects of force

The force has different effects some of which are as follows:

Force can accelerate the speed of a moving body.
Force can make a body move if the body tends to be at rest.
Force can stop a moving body.
Force can reduce the speed of a moving body.
Force can change the direction of a moving body.
It can change the shape and size of a body.

Contact Forces

The forces that require being in contact with another object are all the forces that act on a body either directly or through a medium, known as contact forces. Contact Forces include- Muscular force, Mechanical force, Friction force, etc. Some of the contact forces are as follows:

Muscular Forces

Muscular force is a type of contact force and can exist only when it occurs in contact with an object.
Muscular forces are produced as a result when our muscles function.
This force is used in our day-to-day life activities such as pushing or pulling an object, lifting an object, digestion breathing, etc.

Mechanical Forces

Mechanical forces exist only when it occurs in contact with an object as it is a type of contact force.
Mechanical force can be of three types: tensile force, compressive force, and shear force.

Frictional forces

Frictional force occurs when an object is moved.
It is a resting force that exists between the object that moves or tends to move a surface.
It mainly acts as a point of contact when two surfaces come in contact with each other.
For example- when we try to stop a moving ball with our feet the force acting between the moving ball and our feet can be referred to as frictional force.

Normal force

Normal forces occur when an object is at rest. The opposing force still acts on the object which is at rest as the force from gravity is acting on the object towards the earth.

Applied Force

Whenever a force is applied to an object, the force here is referred to as an applied force.

Tension Force

When a fully stretched cable or wire applies force on an object, it is known as tension and it creates a type of force that pulls equally in both directions and equal pressure is exerted. This force is referred to as tension force.

Spring Force

Whenever a stretched spring or a compressed spring exerts a force, it is referred to as spring force. Spring force can be a push or a pull.

Non-Contact Forces

The type of forces that do not require being in contact with another object is all the forces that act on a body either directly or through a medium known as Non-contact forces. Thus, they act without making direct contact with the object and act through spaces. Non-contact Forces include- Gravitational force, Electrostatic force, Magnetic force, etc. Some of the Non-contact forces are as follows:

Gravitational Force

Gravitational force is a type of force that is mainly exerted by large bodies such as planets and stars. It was described by Newton in Newton’s law of gravity. For example- when water droplets fall on the ground, the Gravitational force of the earth is acting on them.

Magnetic Force

When a force is applied by a magnet on magnetic objects, the force is referred to as magnetic force. The direction of the magnetic force depends on the magnetic polarity of the body.

Electrostatic Force

Electrostatic force occurs due to the presence of charges between the two bodies. The direction of the electrostatic force depends upon the charges present in the bodies.