Question

According to my book the perpendicular component of reaction force is called normal force when there is contact between two bodies. I can not understand that how for example when we jump we pushes the ground downward(action) and the ground pushes us upward(reaction) how this reaction is normal force? or for example if someone jumps to the shore from a boat, the boat moves in the opposite direction we push boat in backward direction and boat pushes us in forward direction(reaction) is this also normal force or friction force. Please explain!

Answer 1

The normal force is the perpendicular component of the reaction force when two objects are in contact. When we jump, the ground exerts an upward reaction force on us, known as the normal force. Similarly, when we jump from a boat to the shore, the reaction force exerted by the boat on us is also a normal force.

Step-by-step explanation:

The normal force is the perpendicular component of the reaction force between two objects in contact. When we jump and push the ground downwards, the ground exerts an upward reaction force on us, which is the normal force. In the example of jumping from a boat to the shore, the boat moves in the opposite direction because we push it in the backward direction with a force and the boat pushes us in the forward direction with an equal and opposite reaction force. This reaction force is also a normal force.