Two students are pushing on a crate that can slide only along a straight hallway…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
Two students are pushing on a crate that can slide only along a straight hallway aligned with the positive x-axis. Student A exerts a 50N force directed in the +x direction, while Student B exerts a 30N force directed in the −x direction. One of the students claims that the net "amount of force" acting on the crate is simply 50N+30N=80N because "50 plus 30 equals 80."
(a) Identify whether force is a scalar or a vector quantity and justify your answer.
(b) Determine the correct net force (magnitude and direction) acting on the crate. Express your answer using a positive or negative sign to indicate direction along the x-axis.
(c) Explain clearly how misclassifying force as a scalar leads to the incorrect result of 80N in this scenario.