Four friends push on the same block in different directions. Allie pushes on the block to the north with a force of 18 N. Bill pushes on the block to the east with a force of 14 N. Chris pushes on the block to south with a force of 23 N. Debra pushes on the block to the west with a force of 20 N. Assuming it does not move vertically, in which directions will the block move? (1 point)

Question

north and west
south and east
south and west
north and east

Answer 1

The block will move in the direction of the resultant force.

To find the resultant force, we can break down the forces into their north-south and east-west components.

For the north-south direction, the net force will be 18 N (Allie's force) - 23 N (Chris's force) = -5 N.

For the east-west direction, the net force will be 14 N (Bill's force) - 20 N (Debra's force) = -6 N.

The negative sign indicates the direction of the force. Therefore, the block will move in the south and west directions.

So, the correct answer is: south and west.