Question

Two students are pushing a cart, as shown below.

200 N Right 150 N Left
What is the net force acting on the cart?

a
350 N to the left
b
350 N to the right
c
150 N to the left
d
150 N to the right
e
50 N to the right
f
200 N to the left
g
200 N to the right
h
50 N to the left

Answer 1

To determine the net force acting on the cart, we need to subtract the forces acting in opposite directions.

The forces are:
- 200 N to the right
- 150 N to the left

To find the net force, we can set the rightward force as positive and the leftward force as negative:

\[
\text{Net Force} = 200 \, \text{N (right)} - 150 \, \text{N (left)}
\]
\[
\text{Net Force} = 200 \, \text{N} - 150 \, \text{N} = 50 \, \text{N (to the right)}
\]

Thus, the net force acting on the cart is **50 N to the right**.

The correct answer is: **e) 50 N to the right**.