What is true about the forces on a car stopped at a red light?

Question

Only gravity acts on the car because it is at rest
The forces acting on the car are unequal because it’s at rest
There are no forces acting on the car because it is at rest
The forces acting on the car are equal because it is at rest

Answer 1

The correct statement is:

The forces acting on the car are equal because it is at rest.

This is based on the principle of static equilibrium, where an object at rest has balanced forces acting on it. For a car stopped at a red light, the force of gravity acting downwards is balanced by the normal force acting upwards from the ground, resulting in a net force of zero. While the car is at rest, there are forces acting on it, but they are equal and opposite, keeping it stationary.