Question

Laura sees a horse pulling a buggy.

Which statement best describes the forces acting on the horse and buggy?

The net forces exerted on the horse and cart are the same, but the action force is larger.
The net forces exerted on the horse and cart are the same, but they are in the same direction.
The net forces exerted on the horse and cart are not the same, so the two forces cancel out.
The net forces exerted on the horse and cart are not the same, so they are not balanced forces.

Answer 1

"The net forces exerted on the horse and cart are not the same, so they are not balanced forces."

Explanation: The horse pulls the buggy forward and the buggy pulls the horse backward with equal magnitude (Newton's 3rd law), but those forces act on different objects so they do not cancel. Each object also has other forces (e.g., the ground pushing the horse forward), so the net forces on the horse and on the buggy need not be the same.