Claim:
When the forces on the object were unbalanced, the object experienced a change in its motion, resulting in acceleration in the direction of the greater force.
Evidence:
In the observed scenario, a toy car was pushed across a table. Initially, the car remained stationary. When an unbalanced force was applied (by pushing the car with a hand), the car started to move in the direction of the applied force. When the push stopped, friction from the surface slowed the car down until it eventually came to a stop. This indicates that while the push was applied, the force from the hand was greater than the opposing forces (friction and gravity), leading to acceleration.
Reasoning:
According to Newton's second law of motion, acceleration occurs when there is a net force acting on an object. In this case, the net force can be calculated as the difference between the applied force and the frictional force opposing it. Since the forces were unbalanced, the net force was directed along the path of the applied push, causing the toy car to accelerate. Once the applied force ceased, the balance shifted, resulting in a net force of zero, as friction became the dominant force, which led to the car's deceleration and eventual stop. This illustrates how unbalanced forces lead to changes in motion and confirms that the net force in the initial situation was positive in the direction of the push.