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You are pushing on a heavy door, trying to slide it open. If your friend stands behind you and helps you push, how have the forces changed?

Question 3 options:

The applied force does not change.

The net force applied will increase.

The net force will decrease.

There will be less friction.

1 answer

When your friend stands behind you and helps you push the heavy door, the forces involved change as follows:

  • The applied force does not change: This is not correct because the applied force is the total force being exerted on the door, which increases when your friend helps you push.

  • The net force applied will increase: This is the correct answer. When both you and your friend exert force on the door, the total (or net) force applied to the door increases as you are combining your efforts.

  • The net force will decrease: This is incorrect since the net force increases with both of you pushing.

  • There will be less friction: This is misleading. The amount of friction depends on the surface and weight of the door, not directly on how hard you are pushing.

So the correct response is: The net force applied will increase.