Forces in Action: Contact and Non-contact Forces

• Physics
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Forces in Action: Contact and Non-contact Forces

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to identify contact and non-contact forces, describe their consequences on objects, and differentiate between the two types of forces.

What do you already know about forces and their effects on objects?

What are Forces?

Forces are pushes or pulls that can change the state of motion of an object.

Contact Forces

Contact forces require direct physical contact between objects. Examples include friction, normal force, and air resistance.

Non-contact Forces

Non-contact forces act on objects without direct physical contact. Examples include gravitational force, magnetic force, and electrostatic force.

Consequences of Forces

Forces can cause objects to start moving, stop moving, change direction, or change shape.

Interactive Activity

Drag and drop the forces into the correct category: contact or non-contact.

Force Diagrams

Force diagrams represent forces acting on an object using arrows. The length and direction of the arrows indicate the magnitude and direction of the forces.

Real-life Examples

Provide real-life examples where contact and non-contact forces are at play, such as a person walking (contact forces) or a satellite orbiting Earth (non-contact forces).

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.