What are forces that can attract or repel materials without contact known as?

Forces that can attract or repel materials without direct contact are known as magnetic forces. These forces arise from the interaction of magnets and magnetic fields and are an integral part of electromagnetism, which describes how charged particles interact with electric and magnetic fields.

Magnetic forces can attract or repel like and unlike magnetic poles, allowing for a variety of phenomena, such as magnets sticking to metal or repelling each other when facing the same pole. This non-contact interaction is key to understanding how everyday magnets work and is different from other types of forces.

In the context of the other forces: electromagnetic forces include both electric and magnetic forces but encompass a broader range of interactions. Gravitational forces act on masses and always attract but don't exhibit the repulsive behavior found in magnetic forces. Nuclear forces, which operate at the subatomic level, bind protons and neutrons within an atomic nucleus and typically do not involve the kinds of macroscopic interactions we attribute to magnets. Thus, magnetic forces specifically highlight that unique characteristic of attracting or repelling without contact.