Back to: Jss1 Basic Science (BST)

Introduction

A force is something that pulls or pushes on an object. It is the force from the outside that makes an object move in a certain way or change direction. When something moves or stops moving, it is always because of a force.

A force is also a way to measure the mechanical action that other bodies have on a body. Newton is the S1 unit of force (N).

Types of forces

These are the types of forces:

1. Contact force: This is the force between two surfaces or bodies that are touching each other.  Push, pull, tension, and friction are all kinds of contact forces.

2. Non-contact force: This is the force between two surfaces or things that don’t touch each other. Gravitational force and magnetic force are both examples of forces that don’t touch each other.

i. Magnetic force: Magnetic force is the force that a magnetic field has on a magnetic pole that is in it. It is the force that holds a magnet in place. Scissors, iron fillings, nails, steel, iron, etc. are all examples of things that are magnetic.

ii. Gravitational force: This is the force that makes things on Earth stick together. It is the pull between the surface of the earth and things close to it. The less gravity an object has, the farther away it is from the earth. As an example of gravitational force, think about how the moon moves around the earth. This is caused by gravitational forces. The moon’s pull causes the tides in the ocean. The force that keeps all of the gas in the sun together We walk on the ground instead of floating in the air because of the force that acts on us. When a basketball player shoots the ball, gravity pulls it back to the ground. This means that whatever goes up must also come down.