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

Question

(1 point)
It moves forward and upward because those are the greatest net forces.
It moves 29 N forward because that's the net force.
It only moves forward because there is a net force forward.
It moves 10 N down and 10 N up as those are the greatest forces acting on the animal.

Answer 1

To determine the movement of the animal based on the forces acting on it, we need to calculate the net forces in both the horizontal (forward/backward) and vertical (up/down) directions.

1. Horizontal Forces:

   • Force pushing forward: 5 N
   • Force of friction pushing backward: 4 N
   • Net horizontal force = Forward force - Friction = 5 N - 4 N = 1 N forward

2. Vertical Forces:

   • Force pushing up: 10 N
   • Force of gravity pushing down: 10 N
   • Net vertical force = Upward force - Downward force = 10 N - 10 N = 0 N (no net movement vertically)

Since there is a net force of 1 N forward and 0 N vertically, the animal will move forward but will remain in a stable position vertically (not moving up or down).

Thus, the correct conclusion is: It only moves forward because there is a net force forward.