Question

Why is magnetism a non-contact force?

Answer 1

Non-contact forces are those forces which exert force on bodies or objects without necessarily being in contact. On the other hand, contact forces always require the force producer and the body on which the force is acting to be in contact with each other.

Complete step by step answer:
You do not need the poles of a magnet to be in contact with each other for magnetic force to exist between them
Contact forces require contact between the force exerted and the object the force is exerted upon. Examples of contact forces are external force applied on a body ( pushing or pulling an object), frictional force (force between two surfaces when they are in contact), tension force (force transmitted through a rope, string, or a wire from one object to another).
Non-contact forces do not need the exeter and the receiver to be in contact with each other. Examples of non-contact forces are gravitational force (attractive force between bodies that is proportional to the product of the mass of the two bodies ), and electric force (attractive force between positively- and negatively-charged bodies).
Knowing that magnetic force exists between two opposite magnetic poles, and that force can actually bring them together even when the poles are far apart, it is easy to comprehend that magnetism is a non-contact force.

Note: We know that a magnetic compass works due to the magnetic field of the earth. The compass rotates and gives us the direction of the earth’s North Pole without physically touching anything. Thus, this shows that magnetism does not need any contact to function.