Question

Imagine a scenario in which an animals force is pushing itself forward 5 N, friction is pushing it 4 N backward, gravity is pushing the animal 10 N down, and the animal is pushing itself 10 N up. Describe the movement of the animal?

Answer 1

To analyze the scenario, let's break down the forces acting on the animal:

1. **Forward force:** The animal is pushing itself forward with a force of 5 N.
2. **Frictional force:** There is a frictional force acting backward on the animal, which is 4 N.
3. **Gravitational force:** The weight of the animal, due to gravity, is acting downwards at 10 N.
4. **Upward force:** The animal is also exerting a force of 10 N upward, likely as a result of its legs pushing against the ground.

### Analyzing the Forces:

- **Net Forward Force:**
- The net forward force can be calculated as the difference between the forward force and the frictional force:
\[
\text{Net Forward Force} = 5 \, \text{N} - 4 \, \text{N} = 1 \, \text{N}
\]
- This means the animal has a net force of 1 N pushing it forward.

- **Vertical Forces:**
- The upward force provided by the animal (10 N) exactly balances the downward gravitational force (10 N):
\[
\text{Net Vertical Force} = 10 \, \text{N} - 10 \, \text{N} = 0 \, \text{N}
\]
- This indicates that the animal is not gaining or losing height—it remains grounded.

### Overall Movement:
- Given that there is a net forward force of 1 N and no vertical acceleration, the animal is moving forward with a low, constant acceleration. The net force indicates that it will continue to move forward, albeit at a potentially slow rate due to the relatively small net force.

In conclusion, the animal is moving forward (in the direction of the force) with a small acceleration, while remaining at a constant height (not moving up or down).