AQA · GCSE · Physics
Course version: 8463 · Version from Sept 2016
Attraction and repulsion between two charged objects are examples of…
Full specification wording
Static charge: Attraction and repulsion between two charged objects are examples of non-contact force.
A non-contact force acts between two objects that are not touching, and electrostatic attraction and repulsion are the clearest classroom examples.
Checked against the AQA 8463 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 8 of 9
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
A non-contact force acts between two objects that are not touching, and electrostatic attraction and repulsion are the clearest classroom examples. The other two you need are the gravitational force and the magnetic force; everything else at this level, including friction, air resistance, tension and the normal contact force, is a contact force. The mechanism is the same for all three non-contact forces: each object creates a field in the space around it, and the second object experiences a force because it sits in that field. An electric field is the region around a charged object where another charged object experiences a force. Non-contact forces still obey the usual rules, so the pair is equal in size and opposite in direction, and each is a vector.
What earns the marks
- Defining a non-contact force as one acting between objects that are not touching.
- Naming the electrostatic force alongside the gravitational and magnetic forces.
- The force arising because the second object sits in the field of the first.
- The two forces being equal in size and opposite in direction.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Listing friction or air resistance as a non-contact force.
Saying the objects must be touching before any force can be exerted.
Describing the electrostatic force as a scalar and giving it no direction.
Defining an electric field as the charge itself rather than the region around it.
Exam tips
- Learn the three non-contact forces as a trio: gravitational, electrostatic and magnetic.
- Use the word field when explaining how a force acts across a gap.
- Draw force arrows on both objects, not just on one, when a diagram is asked for.
Try the lesson
The start of the Static charge: Attraction and repulsion between two charged objects are examples of non-contact force. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
A student holds two negatively charged balloons near each other. The balloons push away from each other without touching. Which type of force causes the balloons to push apart?
Listen
A non-contact force acts between two objects that are not touching, and electrostatic attraction and repulsion are the clearest classroom examples. The other two you need are the gravitational force and the magnetic force; everything else at this level, including friction, air resistance, tension and the normal contact force, is a contact force. The mechanism is the same for all three non-contact forces: each object creates a field in the space around it, and the second object experiences a force because it sits in that field. An electric field is the region around a charged object where another charged object experiences a force. Non-contact forces still obey the usual rules, so the pair is equal in size and opposite in direction, and each is a vector. A strong answer earns marks for these points. defining a non-contact force as one acting between objects that are not touching. naming the electrostatic force alongside the gravitational and magnetic forces. the force arising because the second object sits in the field of the first. the two forces being equal in size and opposite in direction. Exam tip: Learn the three non-contact forces as a trio: gravitational, electrostatic and magnetic.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
non-contact force
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electrostatic force
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electric field
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equal and opposite pairs
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See every definition
- non-contact force
- A force that acts between two objects that are not touching.
- electrostatic force
- The attraction and repulsion between two charged objects, one of the three non-contact forces alongside the gravitational and magnetic forces.
- electric field
- The region around a charged object where another charged object experiences a force.
- equal and opposite pairs
- The rule that the two forces are equal in size and opposite in direction, and each is a vector.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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