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A dogsled is moving at a constant speed of 3.0 m/s in a straight line on level ground,

and each dog is exerting a force of 15 N along that same straight line. What is the
magnitude of the net force on the sled and its occupants during this movement?
80 N
60 N
more than 80 N
0 N

User Atlau
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1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

0 N

Step-by-step explanation:

The key for solving the problem is in the sentence "moving at a constant speed in a straight line".

In fact, this means that the velocity of the sled is constant: and therefore, that its acceleration.

Newton's second law states that:

F = ma

where

F is the net force on an object

m is its mass

a is its acceleration

In this problem, we have asserted that the acceleration of the sled is zero:

a = 0

Therefore, according to the equation above, this also means that the net force on the sled is also zero:

F = 0 N

(This implies that there must be another force, must like the force of friction, that acts backward, in the opposite direction to the pull applied by the dogs).

User Elenora
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