The normal force is the force exerted by a surface to support the weight of an object resting on it. It acts perpendicular to the surface and prevents the object from falling through the surface.
Key Points to Remember
The normal force is always perpendicular to the surface.
It is a contact force, meaning it only exists when the object is in contact with the surface.
The magnitude of the normal force is equal to the weight of the object when the object is at rest or moving at a constant velocity in the vertical direction.
The normal force can vary based on the angle of the surface and other factors affecting the contact between the object and the surface.
Construct an argument from evidence to explain the likelihood of an organism’s ability to survive when compared to the resources in a certain habitat (e.g., freshwater organisms survive well, less well, or not at all in saltwater; desert organisms survive well, less well, or not at all in woodlands).
Create models that illustrate how organisms and their habitats make up a system in which the parts depend on each other.