Internal and External Forces

Contact and Non-Contact Forces

Forces can be classified onto two types:contact and non-contact

Contact Forces- compression, spring, frictional, tension

Non-Contact Forces- gravitational, electrical, magnetic

Internal Forces

Internal forces aare applied to a structure when a LOAD impacts the system of the structure. Forces that happen INSIDE the system.

External Forces

External forces are applied to a structure when an outside force is applied to the structure. Forces that happen OUTSIDE the structure.