Question

Two forces act on an object. One force has a magnitude of 30N directed west, and the other force has a magnitude of 12 N directed east. What is the net force on the object? (1 point)
• 42N west
• 18N west
• 18N east
• 42 N east

Answer 1

To find the net force on the object, we need to consider the directions of the forces acting on it.

We have:

- A force of \(30 \, \text{N}\) directed west
- A force of \(12 \, \text{N}\) directed east

Since the west direction can be considered negative and the east direction positive, we can express the forces as:

- \(F_{\text{west}} = -30 \, \text{N}\)
- \(F_{\text{east}} = +12 \, \text{N}\)

Now, we can calculate the net force:

\[
F_{\text{net}} = F_{\text{west}} + F_{\text{east}} = -30 \, \text{N} + 12 \, \text{N} = -18 \, \text{N}
\]

The negative sign indicates that the net force is directed west. Therefore, the net force on the object is:

**18 N west**.