Question

By supporting your answer with examples, explain, what do you understand by forces at distance.

Answer 1

1. Force can change the state of a body from rest to motion or from motion to rest.
2. For changing the state of a body from rest to motion or vice versa, the body need not be in direct physical contact with the source of force.
3. Force experienced by a body without being in direct physical contact with the source of force is called “force at distance”.
4. Iron pins kept at some distance from a magnet experience a magnetic force although there is no direct physical contact between iron pins and the magnet.
5. The gravitational force of attraction acts between earth and the moon although there is no direct physical contact between them.
6. The electrostatic force of attraction acts between a rubbed plastic ruler and bits of paper although there is no direct physical contact between them.