Question

Which sentence below describes a contact force? A) A baseball bat hits a ball B) A book falls to the floor C) A leaf floats in the air and falls to the ground D) A magnetic force pulls a paper clip toward a magnet Please help!!!

Answer 1

A baseball bat hits a ball is an example of contact force.

Option A.

Explanation:

Contact force is defined as those forces which are acting between two bodies by actually touch between two bodies.

In case of the book falling to ground, the force acting is the gravitational force. Gravitational force acts even when two bodies aren't in contact. So its a non contact force.

Similar is the condition of the leaf and ground where the gravitational force acts.

The magnetic force between the paper clip and the magnet is also non contact force, which acts even when two bodies aren't in contact.

But the bat hitting the ball is having direct contact between the two bodies, and their contact is what makes the ball fly off. So its a contact force.