A system can have a nonzero velocity while the net external force on it is zero. Describe such a situation.

Short Answer

Expert verified

The situation where a system moves with the nonzero velocity with zero net external force is pushing an object across the floor at constant velocity.

Step by step solution

01

Concept of Newton’s second law of motion

Newton’s second law of motion states that the acceleration of a system is directly proportional to the net external force acting on the system and is inversely proportional to the mass of the system. Mathematically,

Fnet=ma

Here Fnetis the net force,localid="1654167109493" mis the mass, andlocalid="1654167042552" ais the acceleration.

02

Explanation for a system with zero net external force having a nonzero velocity

The situation where a system moves with the nonzero velocity with zero net external force is pushing an object across the floor at constant velocity.

When the net external force acting on a body is zero, the body does not experience any acceleration. So, when a body has a non-zero velocity, and a net external force of zero, this clearly suggests that the body is moving at a constant velocity and without accelerating.

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Unreasonable Results

A 75.0-kg man stands on a bathroom scale in an elevator that accelerates from rest to 30.0 m/s in 2.00 s.

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