Here's a breakdown:

* Gravity: Every object with mass experiences a force of gravity pulling it towards the center of the Earth.

* Normal force: This is the force exerted by a surface on an object in contact with it. It acts perpendicular to the surface.

* Balance: When an object is at rest on a surface, the normal force exactly counteracts the component of gravity that is pushing the object into the surface.

Example:

Imagine a book sitting on a table. Gravity pulls the book downwards. The table exerts an upward normal force on the book. These two forces are equal and opposite, so they balance each other out. As a result, the book remains at rest on the table.

Key points:

* The normal force is always perpendicular to the surface.

* It is not always equal to the weight of the object. If the object is on an inclined plane, for example, the normal force will be less than the object's weight.

* It's a contact force, meaning it only exists when objects are in contact.

Let me know if you would like more detailed explanation or examples!