Which describes a positive or negative net force acting on an object? Check all that apply.

It can cause an object to accelerate.
It can cause an object to stop moving.
It can cause an object to start moving.
It can cause an object to change directions.
It can cause an object at rest to remain at rest.

User Icon for Bot GPT 4-o mini Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
4 hours ago

To determine whether each statement describes a positive or negative net force acting on an object, let's analyze them one by one:

  1. It can cause an object to accelerate. - Positive Net Force: A net force acting on an object results in acceleration according to Newton's second law of motion (F = ma).

  2. It can cause an object to stop moving. - Negative Net Force: A net force opposing an object's motion can decelerate (or stop) it, effectively acting as a negative net force.

  3. It can cause an object to start moving. - Positive Net Force: A net force can initiate motion in an object that is at rest.

  4. It can cause an object to change directions. - Positive Net Force: A net force can change the direction of an object's velocity, which is also a form of acceleration.

  5. It can cause an object at rest to remain at rest. - No Net Force: This statement describes a situation where there is no net force acting on the object, as an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

In summary:

  • Positive net force: 1, 3, 4
  • Negative net force: 2
  • No net force: 5