Question

Two people push a box from opposite directions; the box does not move. Which statement best explains this result?

A. Push forces do not cause motion.

B. Balanced forces do not cause motion.

C. The forces have different magnitudes.

D. The box pushes back on the people.

Answer 1

B. The pushes are balanced so the net force is zero, and with zero net force there is no acceleration (Newton's 2nd law). The other choices are incorrect: pushes can cause motion if unbalanced (A), the magnitudes must be equal here not different (C), and while the box does exert reaction forces (D) that doesn't explain why it doesn't move.