Two forces act on an object. One force has a magnitude of 10 N directed north, and the other force has a magnitude of 2 N directed south. What is the net force on the object?

1 answer

To determine the net force acting on the object, we need to consider the magnitudes and directions of the forces.

We have:

  • One force of 10 N directed north.
  • Another force of 2 N directed south.

Since north is considered positive and south is considered negative in this context, we can represent the forces as follows:

  • Force 1 (north): +10 N
  • Force 2 (south): -2 N

To find the net force, we add the two forces together:

\[ \text{Net Force} = \text{Force 1} + \text{Force 2} = 10 , \text{N} - 2 , \text{N} = 8 , \text{N} \]

The direction of the net force will be the same as the larger force, which is directed north.

Therefore, the net force on the object is 8 N directed north.