When the wave strikes the speedboat from the side with a force of 500 newtons, it introduces an additional force that was not previously acting on the speedboat. Prior to the wave's impact, the forces were balanced, with the forward propulsion force being equal to the backward force from the water.
Given the new situation:
- The 500 N force from the wave acts perpendicular to the boat's forward motion.
- The original forces (forward and backward) remain unbalanced.
Now let's analyze the options:
A. the forces acting on the speedboat will stay balanced.
This is incorrect because the 500 N wave creates an unbalanced force.
B. a net force of 4,000 N will act on the speedboat.
This is incorrect because the initial setup was balanced but now has a sideways force of 500 N; we cannot say there's a net force of 4,000 N since the boat was initially balanced.
C. a net force of 8,000 N will act on the speedboat.
This is also incorrect for similar reasons to option B. The only new force introduced is from the wave, not an accumulation that totals to 8,000 N.
D. the speedboat's direction of motion will change.
This is the correct answer. The introduction of the wave's force will cause the speedboat to change direction due to the unbalanced force acting on it.
Therefore, the best answer is: D. the speedboat's direction of motion will change.
1 answer