Question

Two teams are playing tug of war. The tables show the members of each team and how much pulling force each team member applies to the rope.

Team A

Members

Pulling Force

(N)

Darlene 360
Eric 400
Keshawn 450
Team B

Members

Pulling Force

(N)

Anita 350
Frank 390
Molly 490
If Team A pulls to the right and Team B pulls to the left, what is the total horizontal net force applied to the rope?

(1 point)
Responses

20 N to the right
20 N to the right

40 N to the left
40 N to the left

40 N to the right
40 N to the right

20 N to the left

Answer 1

To find the total horizontal net force applied to the rope, we need to calculate the total pulling force for both teams and then determine the difference between them.

**Team A's Total Pulling Force:**
- Darlene: 360 N
- Eric: 400 N
- Keshawn: 450 N

Total for Team A = 360 N + 400 N + 450 N = 1210 N

**Team B's Total Pulling Force:**
- Anita: 350 N
- Frank: 390 N
- Molly: 490 N

Total for Team B = 350 N + 390 N + 490 N = 1230 N

**Net Force Calculation:**
Since Team A pulls to the right and Team B pulls to the left, we can find the net force by subtracting Team A's total force from Team B's total force:

Net Force = Team B's Total Pulling Force - Team A's Total Pulling Force
Net Force = 1230 N - 1210 N = 20 N

Because Team B's force is greater and is pulling in the opposite direction, the net force will be to the left.

Thus, the total horizontal net force applied to the rope is **20 N to the left**.