What Are Contact Forces?
When something moves, like a sled sliding down a hill, it slows down and stops at the bottom. This happens because of friction.
Friction is a type of contact force. A contact force happens when two things touch or rub against each other. In the case of the sled, the ground rubs against it, causing it to slow down. Friction works in many ways to stop or slow things, like brakes on a bike or the rubber soles on your shoes when you stop running.
Friction is important because it keeps things safe by helping them stop instead of sliding forever.
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