To determine the net force on the rope in a tug-of-war situation, we need to consider the directions of the forces involved. We have two groups of children pulling in opposite directions:
- Five children pulling with 10 newtons of force.
- Ten children pulling with 15 newtons of force.
Since the forces are in opposite directions, we will subtract the total forces.
First, calculate the total force from each group:
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The total force exerted by the five children is: \( 5 \text{ children} \times 10 \text{ newtons/child} = 50 \text{ newtons} \)
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The total force exerted by the ten children is: \( 10 \text{ children} \times 15 \text{ newtons/child} = 150 \text{ newtons} \)
Now, to find the net force on the rope:
- Since the two forces are in opposite directions, you will subtract the smaller force from the larger force: \( \text{Net force} = 150 \text{ newtons} - 50 \text{ newtons} = 100 \text{ newtons} \)
The direction of the net force will be in the direction of the larger pull (the ten children).
Therefore, the correct statement is: The forces are in opposite directions, so the newtons can be subtracted.