Contact & Non-Contact Forces · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Touch it or not: contact and non-contact forces

Science · Forces & Motion · ages 7-8
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. A magnet pulls a paperclip without touching it. What kind of force is this?

    • Contact force
    • Non-contact force
    • It is not a force at all

  2. Kicking a ball is a non-contact force.

    Circle one:   True   False

  3. A magnet is held above a metal button on the floor. The button jumps up to the magnet before they touch. What kind of force pulled the button?

    • A non-contact force, because the pull happened before they touched
    • A contact force, because the button is made of metal
    • A contact force, because the button moved up

  4. Which type of force needs two objects to touch each other before it can happen?

    • Contact force
    • Non-contact force
    • Neither, forces never need touching

  5. Sofia sorts 6 forces: pushing a door, pulling a wagon, kicking a ball, rubbing hands together, a magnet pulling a pin, and a magnet lifting a clip. How many of the 6 forces are non-contact forces?

    Answer: ______________

  6. Which of these must be true about every non-contact force?

    • It needs no touching
    • It is always a magnet
    • It only pulls on metal

  7. Which of these is a contact force?

    • A magnet pulling a fridge magnet
    • Pushing a swing
    • A magnet pulling a nail from far away

  8. You must touch a magnet directly to feel it pull on metal.

    Circle one:   True   False

  9. Eli pushes a box across the floor. His hands push the box, and the box rubs on the floor as it slides. How many contact forces are at work here?

    • One, only the push
    • None, the box slides by itself
    • Two, the push and the rubbing

  10. Ava says, "If a magnet is close to a paperclip but not touching it, no force can happen between them." Is she right?

    • Yes, forces can only happen when things touch
    • Yes, a small gap stops every force
    • No, a magnet can pull across a small gap without touching
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Touch it or not: contact and non-contact forces W1-mt_lcf8lx-LkZ-s1

  1. Non-contact force · Magnetism can act at a distance, so it is a non-contact force.
  2. False · Your foot has to touch the ball to kick it, so kicking is a contact force.
  3. A non-contact force, because the pull happened before they touched · The button started moving before anything touched it, so the pull worked across a gap. That makes it a non-contact force.
  4. Contact force · A contact force only works when the two objects are touching, like a push or a pull.
  5. 2 · Only the two magnet forces work without touching, so 2 of the 6 forces are non-contact forces.
  6. It needs no touching · A non-contact force is one that works without touching. Gravity does it too, so it is not only magnets.
  7. Pushing a swing · Pushing needs your hand to touch the swing, so it is a contact force.
  8. False · A magnet can pull metal from a short distance away, without touching it.
  9. Two, the push and the rubbing · The push needs his hands touching the box, and the rubbing friction needs the box touching the floor. Both are contact forces, so there are 2.
  10. No, a magnet can pull across a small gap without touching · A magnet can pull a paperclip across a small gap, so a force can happen even when the two things are not touching.
Worksheet · LightMySky