Final answer:
The normal force is always perpendicular to the contact surface and may or may not completely counter the object's weight depending on the situation, such as being on an incline.
Step-by-step explanation:
The property of the normal force that you are asking about is that it always points perpendicular to the contact surface. This is true regardless of the orientation of the surface; if an object is resting on a horizontal surface, the normal force acts upward, balancing the object's weight, which can be represented by the equation N = -mg.
However, if the object is on an incline, the normal force will still be perpendicular to the surface but may not be equal to the weight of the object. It is important to note that while the normal force often balances a portion of the object's weight, it is not solely responsible for countering gravity, especially on inclined planes.