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When an apple that weighs 1 N is dropped and freely falls, the net force on the apple is:

A. 1 N

B. 0 N

C. -1 N

D. It varies during the fall.

User Wendu
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The net force on a freely falling apple weighing 1 N is 1 N, as this represents its weight and the only force acting on it in ideal conditions of free fall with negligible air resistance.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an apple that weighs 1 N is dropped and freely falls, the net force on the apple is essentially its weight since we are ignoring air resistance. Therefore, if the apple weighs 1 N, that is indeed the net force acting on it during the fall assuming we are considering ideal conditions where air resistance is negligible.

Newton's second law of motion indicates that the acceleration of an object is the result of the net external force acting upon it. In an ideal scenario where only gravity is considered, an object in free fall has gravity as the only force acting on it. Since weight is the force of gravity pulling on an object, an apple weighing 1 N will have a net force of 1 N when in free fall. Hence, the correct answer to the question would be A. 1 N.

User Chris Mullins
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