Question

The net force on a car is zero in both the horizontal and vertical directions which two situations could be true about the motion of the car

Answer 1

The two situations where a car has zero net force are when it's parked (static equilibrium) and when it's moving at constant velocity (dynamic equilibrium). In both scenarios, Newton's first law of motion indicates there's no acceleration.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the net force on a car is zero in both the horizontal and vertical directions, two possible situations that could be true about the motion of the car are:

1. The car is parked and not moving (static equilibrium). In this case, there are no unbalanced forces acting on the car, which means it will remain at rest. The gravitational force pulling the car down (its weight) is exactly balanced by the normal force pushing it up from the ground.
2. The car is moving at constant velocity (dynamic equilibrium). Here, any forward thrust from the car's engine is equally opposed by frictional and air resistance forces, so there is no net force and no acceleration. The weight of the car is again balanced by the normal force.

In both cases, Newton's first law of motion applies, stating that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by a net external force.

Answer 2

Since both the net force of the horizontal and vertical directions on the car is zero, we can imply that it is in equilibrium in two cases: either it is at rest, or it is moving on a constant velocity. I hope my answer has come to your help. God bless and have a nice day ahead!