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Chapter 4: Q4. (page 98)

If the acceleration of an object is zero, are no forces acting on it? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified

There might be forces acting on the object, but the summation of those forces must be zero.

Step by step solution

01

Step 1. Relation between the net force on an object and its acceleration

According to Newton’s second law, the net force acting on the object is directly proportional to its acceleration.

02

Step 2. Applying Newton’s second law on the object with zero acceleration

According to Newton’s second law, you know that acceleration is directly proportional to force and follows the relation

F=ma.

Here, m is the mass of the object, F is the net force applied, and a is the acceleration.

Thus, from the above relation, you can conclude that if the object does not experience any acceleration, it means the net force on that object must be zero.

Moreover, it also means that even though forces may be acting on that object, yet the summation of those forces is zero.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The crate shown in Fig. 4–60 lies on a plane tilted at an angle θ=25.0oto the horizontal, with μk=0.19. (a) Determine the acceleration of the crate as it slides down the plane. (b) If the crate starts from rest 8.15 m up along the plane from its base, what will be the crate’s speed when it reaches the bottom of the incline?

FIGURE 4–60 Crate on inclined plane. Problems 59 and 60

A 0.140-kg baseball traveling at 35.0 m/s strikes the catcher’s mitt, which, in bringing the ball to rest, recoils backward 11.0 can. What was the average force applied by the ball on the glove?

Draw the free-body diagram for a basketball player (a) just before leaving the ground on a jump, and (b) while in the air. See Fig. 4–46.

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See Fig. 4–44.

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