Contact and Fluid Forces

Abstract

In the previous chapter, we looked in some detail at gravity, which is a force that acts at a distance. Except for gravity, however, most of the forces that we encounter in our daily lives arise from direct contact with other objects, either solids or fluids. Because on this planet we are usually in contact with a solid floor and are surrounded by fluid, either air or water, it is surely a good thing to know what forces they exert on things. This chapter will look at these forces.