Question

Edmond is using a pen to write on a postcard. He is pushing down on the pen with a force of 24 N. The postcard is pushing up on the pen with a force of 25 N. Earth's gravity is pulling down on the pen with a force of 10 N. All other forces on the pen are balanced. Which statement describes the forces on the pen?

a. The pen experiences a net upward force.
b. The pen is in a state of equilibrium with balanced forces.
c. The pen undergoes unbalanced lateral forces.
d. The pen encounters an unbalanced downward force.

Answer 1

After analyzing the forces acting on the pen, the pen experiences a net upward force, as it is pushed upward with a slightly greater force than the combined forces pushing and pulling it downward.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question concerns the forces acting on a pen that Edmond is using to write on a postcard. To determine which statement correctly describes the forces on the pen, we assess the forces involved: The pen is pressed down with a force of 24 N, the postcard pushes up with a 25 N force, and gravity pulls down with a 10 N force. Since the upward and downward forces don't cancel out, the pen experiences a net upward force of 1 N (25 N up minus 24 N down minus 10 N due to gravity). Therefore, the correct answer is that the pen experiences a net upward force.