Question

A block, moving on a frictionless horizontal surface on Earth, requires a force if it is to be stopped. Now suppose that the same block, moving with the same speed on a frictionless horizontal surface on the Moon, where gravity is less, is to be stopped in the same time. We can say that, compared to the Earth,

a) The force required is less.

b) The force required is greater.

c) The force required is the same.

d) The block cannot be stopped on the Moon.

Answer 1

The force required to stop a block on a frictionless surface remains the same on the Moon as it is on Earth because it is dependent on the block's mass and the required deceleration, which are constant in both locations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The force required to stop a block on a frictionless surface is not dependent on the gravitational force but rather on the mass of the block and the deceleration desired. Since the block's mass remains the same and the deceleration needed to stop the block in the same amount of time is the same, the required force is also the same, regardless of whether the block is on the Moon or Earth. Therefore, the correct answer is c) The force required is the same.

Newton's second law F=ma (where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration) tells us that the force required to change an object's motion depends only on the mass of the object and the acceleration. Since gravity does not play a role in this scenario, the Moon's lower gravity won't change the force needed to stop the block.