Is gravity a contact or field force?
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Gravity is a type of force that acts as a field force rather than a contact force. Field forces are forces that act at a distance, meaning they do not require physical contact between objects to exert their influence. They operate through a field known as a gravitational field.
To understand how gravity works as a field force, we can consider the example of the gravitational force between the Earth and an object near the Earth's surface, such as a book. The Earth generates a gravitational field that permeates space around it.
When the book is placed in the vicinity of the Earth, it experiences a gravitational force due to the Earth's gravitational field. This force pulls the book towards the center of the Earth, influencing its motion without direct contact. This behavior exemplifies gravity as a field force acting over a distance.
Field forces, like gravity, follow the inverse square law, meaning their strength weakens as the distance between objects increases. This is why objects experience a stronger gravitational force when they are closer to massive objects like the Earth or other celestial bodies.
To summarize, gravity is a field force that acts over a distance, exerting its influence on objects without requiring direct contact.