Imagine a scenario in which an animal's 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.(1 point)

Responses

It moves 10 N down and 10 N up as those are the greatest forces acting on the animal.
It moves 10 N down and 10 N up as those are the greatest forces acting on the animal.

It moves 29 N forward because that's the net force.
It moves 29 N forward because that's the net force.

It only moves forward because there is a net force forward.
It only moves forward because there is a net force forward.

It moves forward and upward because those are the greatest net forces.

1 answer

To analyze the movement of the animal, we can break down the forces acting on it.

  1. Forward Forces:

    • The animal is pushing itself forward with a force of 5 N.
    • Friction is opposing this motion with a force of 4 N backward.
    • Net forward force = 5 N (forward) - 4 N (backward) = 1 N (forward).
  2. Vertical Forces:

    • The animal is pushing itself upward with a force of 10 N.
    • Gravity is pulling it down with a force of 10 N.
    • Net vertical force = 10 N (upward) - 10 N (downward) = 0 N.

Given this analysis:

  • The animal has a net force of 1 N forward, causing it to move forward.
  • There is no net vertical force acting on the animal, so it does not move up or down.

Thus, the correct response is:

It only moves forward because there is a net force forward.