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.
Yes, sort of.Sundown444 said:And normal forces from walls prevent something from falling through the walls, right?
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
A normal force is the force that a surface exerts on an object that is in contact with it. It acts perpendicular to the surface and prevents objects from falling through or sinking into the surface.
On a horizontal surface, the normal force is equal to the weight of the object. On a vertical surface, the normal force is equal to the component of the weight that is perpendicular to the surface. On a diagonal surface, the normal force is equal to the component of the weight that is perpendicular to the surface, plus any additional forces acting on the object, such as friction.
The normal force on an object is affected by the weight of the object, the angle of the surface it is on, and any additional forces acting on the object, such as friction or applied forces.
Yes, the normal force can be greater than the weight of an object if there are additional forces acting on the object, such as friction or applied forces.
Understanding normal forces on different surfaces is important in many real-world applications, such as building structures, designing vehicles, and predicting the behavior of objects in different environments. It also plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and stability of structures and objects in various situations.