Which force is a push or pull on one object by another object?

• A. Gravitational force
• B. Magnetic force
• C. Electrical force
• D. Contact force

Answer: (D)

A push or pull that happens through direct touch between two objects is a contact force. This is the kind of force you feel when you push on a door and the door pushes back, or when a rope is pulling on a crate (tension), or when friction between your foot and the floor acts as you walk. These interactions require the objects to touch.

Other forces—like gravity, magnetism, and electricity—can cause pushes or pulls without direct contact; they act at a distance. Gravity pulls you toward Earth even though you’re not touching the ground with a separating force, and magnetic or electric forces can attract or repel objects without contact. So the term that fits the description of a push or pull resulting from contact between objects is contact force.