Question

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?

Answer 1

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**.