Asked by ji

Jerome places a bag of flour on a scale. The scale shows that the bag has a weight of 17 N. Which is the reaction force of the bag sitting on the scale?

The scale exerts a 17 N force up on the bag.
The scale exerts a 17 N force down on the counter.
Earth exerts a 17 N force down on the bag.
The bag exerts a 17 N force down on the scale.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The bag exerts a 17 N force down on the scale.

Explanation: the scale reads 17 N because it pushes up on the bag with 17 N. By Newton's 3rd law the reaction is the bag pushing down on the scale with 17 N (equal and opposite).