Net Force/Newton's 2nd Law Handout

Front

What is net force?

Back

Net force is the overall force acting on an object when all the individual forces are combined. It determines the object's acceleration.

Front

How do you calculate net force when forces are acting in the same direction?

Back

When forces are acting in the same direction, you add their magnitudes to find the net force.

Front

How do you calculate net force when forces are acting in opposite directions?

Back

When forces are acting in opposite directions, you subtract the smaller force from the larger force to find the net force.

Front

What is Newton's Second Law of Motion?

Back

Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (F = ma).

Front

What does a positive net force indicate?

Back

A positive net force indicates that the object is accelerating in the direction of the net force.

Front

What does a negative net force indicate?

Back

A negative net force indicates that the object is accelerating in the opposite direction of the net force.

Front

If a 10 N force is applied to the right and a 4 N force is applied to the left, what is the net force?

Back

The net force is 6 N to the right (10 N - 4 N = 6 N).

Front

If two forces of 5 N each are acting in the same direction, what is the net force?

Back

The net force is 10 N in that direction (5 N + 5 N = 10 N).

Front

What happens to an object if the net force acting on it is zero?

Back

If the net force is zero, the object will remain at rest or continue to move at a constant velocity.

Front

What is the unit of force in the International System of Units (SI)?

Back

The unit of force in SI is the Newton (N).