Two construction workers are attempting to pull a slab of concrete off of the ground. Each of the workers are pulling up with a force of 225 N, while the slab of concrete applies a gravitational force of 400 N in the opposite direction, remaining stationary.

Question

If the pulling forces applied to the slab of concrete are assigned a positive value, what is the net force of the scenario, and in which direction will the slab of concrete move?

(1 point)
Responses

50 N; the slab will move upward
50 N; the slab will move upward

-175 N; the slab will remain stationary
-175 N; the slab will remain stationary

175 N; the slab will move upward
175 N; the slab will move upward

-50 N; the slab will remain stationary

Answer 1

To find the net force acting on the slab of concrete, we need to calculate the total upward force applied by the workers and subtract the downward gravitational force acting on the slab.

The total upward force from the two workers:

• Worker 1: 225 N
• Worker 2: 225 N

Total upward force = 225 N + 225 N = 450 N

The downward force applied by the slab due to gravity is:

• Gravitational force = 400 N

Now, we can calculate the net force: Net force = Total upward force - Gravitational force Net force = 450 N - 400 N = 50 N

Since the pulling forces are assigned a positive value and the net force is positive (50 N), the slab will move upward.

Therefore, the correct answer is: 50 N; the slab will move upward.