Two kids play a game of tug-o-war, but the flag in the middle of the rope is NOT moving. What force is being applied to the rope?

Question

A kid applies more force in one direction
One kid applies force and the other does not
The kids apply equal forces in similar directions
The kids apply equal force in opposing directions

Answer 1

If the flag in the middle of the rope is not moving, it indicates that the forces being applied to the rope are balanced. In this scenario, the correct statement is:

The kids apply equal force in opposing directions.

This means that each kid is pulling with the same amount of force but in opposite directions, resulting in a net force of zero and, hence, no movement of the flag.