A stationary box remains unmoved on the floor even when equal forces are applied from opposite sides. Which feature of the forces best explains this outcome?
Both forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
When two forces of equal magnitude act on a body along the same line but in opposite directions, they cancel each other and the net (resultant) force is zero. Such forces are called balanced forces.
By Newton's first law, a body at rest stays at rest unless an unbalanced (net) force acts on it. Since the two pushes on the box are equal and opposite, the net force is zero, so the stationary box stays unmoved.
Forces acting at different points could tend to turn the box but do not explain why it stays still. If the forces were unbalanced or unequal in magnitude, there would be a net force and the box would start moving in the direction of the larger force.
Hence, Both forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
Similar Questions
A hockey puck of mass 0.5 kg slides across ice with an initial velocity of 8 m/s. If a player applies a constant force for 0.5 s and the puck’s velocity increases to 12 m/s, what is the magnitude of the applied force?
If a person stands close to a wall and pushes the wall with his hands, which of the following is a correct statement regarding the force exerted by the wall on the person?
A science project requires students to adjust a first-class lever to lift a heavy object with the least amount of effort force. Which adjustment will give them the greatest mechanical advantage?
A cart of mass 6 kg is acted upon by a forward force of 8 N and a backward force of 5 N simultaneously. What is the magnitude of its net acceleration?
When you're standing in a bus and it suddenly starts moving forward, you tend to fall backward. What is the reason for this?
A swimmer pushes water backward with her hands during a stroke and moves forward. If the swimmer applies a force of 60 N on the water, what is the force exerted by the water on the swimmer?
A block P is placed on a larger block Q, which is initially at rest on a smooth horizontal surface. Block Q is suddenly pulled horizontally, causing P to slip backward relative to Q. Which of the following statements best explains this observation?
If the acceleration of an object doubles while the mass of the object remains constant, what happens to the force required?
A student pushes a 4 kg cart so that its velocity changes from 2 m/s to 6 m/s in 2 seconds. What is the magnitude of the force applied on the cart?
When two bodies of different masses are accelerated at the same rate, what can be inferred about the forces acting on them according to Newton's second law?
Important Questions from Forces
- What is the direction of frictional force?
A piece of stone tied to a string is made to revolve in a circular orbit of radius $r$ with other end of the string as the centre. If the string breaks, the stone will:
- If the linear momentum of a moving object changes by two times, then its kinetic energy will change by a factor of
- Which one of the following statements with regard to Newton's third law of motion is NOT correct?
- A snowboard pulled up by a tow rope travels at the rate of 5 m/s up a mountain. If 3000 watt of power is used, what force was applied to it?
