High School Understanding Normal Forces on Horizontal, Vertical, and Diagonal Surfaces

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the concept of normal force, emphasizing its role in preventing objects from falling through surfaces, regardless of their orientation. Normal forces act perpendicularly to surfaces, whether horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. When leaning against a wall, both vertical and horizontal normal forces are at play, maintaining balance and preventing tipping. The definition of "normal" as synonymous with "perpendicular" is highlighted, underscoring its significance in understanding these forces.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, particularly forces.
  • Familiarity with the definition of normal force in mechanics.
  • Knowledge of inclined planes and their effects on force distribution.
  • Basic comprehension of vector components in physics.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the applications of normal force in various physical scenarios.
  • Explore the relationship between normal force and frictional force.
  • Learn about inclined planes and their impact on normal force calculations.
  • Investigate the mathematical representation of forces in vector form.
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators teaching mechanics, and anyone interested in understanding the principles of forces acting on different surfaces.

Sundown444
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Well, we all know that normal force is the force that keeps things from falling to the center of the earth, right? Well, that should apply to horizontal surfaces such as the ground. But does normal force work for vertical and diagonal forces such as a wall, too?
 
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Any time something is pressing on a surface, no matter what the angle of the surface, there is a normal that is perpendicular to the surface. If you're leaning against a wall, you are held in place by the vertical normal force from the floor (which stops you from falling to the center of the earth) and the horizontal normal force from the wall (which stops you from tipping over even though you aren't standing straight).

Lie flat on an inclined plane and the normal force will be perpendicular to the surface of the plane, neither horizontal nor vertical.
 
Nugatory said:
Any time something is pressing on a surface, no matter what the angle of the surface, there is a normal that is perpendicular to the surface. If you're leaning against a wall, you are held in place by the vertical normal force from the floor (which stops you from falling to the center of the earth) and the horizontal normal force from the wall (which stops you from tipping over even though you aren't standing straight).

Lie flat on an inclined plane and the normal force will be perpendicular to the surface of the plane, neither horizontal nor vertical.

And normal forces from walls prevent something from falling through the walls, right?
 
Sundown444 said:
And normal forces from walls prevent something from falling through the walls, right?
Yes, sort of.

But it sounds like you are missing the significance of the word normal.

Definition of normal
1:perpendicular; especially :perpendicular to a tangent (see 1tangent 3) at a point of tangency
 
anorlunda said:
Yes, sort of.

But it sounds like you are missing the significance of the word normal.

Definition of normal
1:perpendicular; especially :perpendicular to a tangent (see 1tangent 3) at a point of tangency

Honestly, I never saw the perpendicular definition of normal before.
 
The words normal and perpendicular are synonyms.
 
Thread 'A high school physics problem demonstrating relative motion'

Thread 'A high school physics problem demonstrating relative motion'

I remembered a pretty high school problem from kinematics. But it seems it can help even undergraduates to develop their understanding of what a relative motion is. Consider a railway circle of radius ##r##. Assume that a carriage running along this circle has a speed ##v##. See the picture. A fly ##M## flies in the opposite direction and has a speed ##u,\quad |OM|=b##. Find a speed of the fly relative to the carriage. The obvious incorrect answer is ##u+v## while the correct answer is...
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