The relationship between normal force and contact

[siriux]

"If there's no normal force, there's no contact."


Is the statement above correct?

What is the relationship between contact and the existence of normal force? Are they necessary and sufficient conditions to each other?

Thanks for your help :p

 

[SammyS]

Why can't there be contact without a normal force?

 

[siriux]

I agree with you SammyS but the statement appears in Physics by Randall D. Knight pg225 paragraph 2 which precisely says

"No normal force" means "no contact"

Did I understand this quote correctly?

 

[SammyS]

If that's it in its entirety, then you did.

However it is true that: No contact means no normal force.

 

[siriux]

Sorry I missed a full stop.

"No normal force" means "no contact".

So according to the textbook, "no contact" is the sufficient condition of "no normal force", which I think is wrong while I agree its conversion ("No contact" means "no normal force".) is right as you've just said.

 

[NascentOxygen]

So according to the textbook, "no contact" is the sufficient condition of "no normal force", which I think is wrong while I agree its conversion ("No contact" means "no normal force".) is right as you've just said.

Name the force/s that may arise when bodies are in contact.