Question

At football practice, the offensive line is applying 100 N of force while the defensive line is applying 150 N of force. What is the net force applied, and in which direction will the two players go?

a. 50 N to the left
b. 50 N to the right
c. 250 N to the left
d. 250 N to the right

Answer 1

The net force when the offensive line applies 100 N of force and the defensive line applies 150 N is 50 N directed towards the defensive side. This net force is the difference between the opposing forces. Free-body diagrams and Newton's laws are crucial to analyze forces in such scenarios.

Step-by-step explanation:

If at football practice the offensive line is applying 100 N of force and the defensive line is applying 150 N of force, the net force is the difference between these two forces since they are applied in opposite directions. The defensive line applies a greater force, so the net force will be 150 N - 100 N = 50 N in the direction of the defensive line's push. In physical situations like in rugby or football, it is important to consider forces like friction and the players' mass. The dynamics of the forces can be analyzed by drawing free-body diagrams, applying Newton's laws, and calculating the net force acting on bodies.

As an example, if we consider a rugby player pushed from both sides, we could use the head-to-tail method to find the resultant force. You draw vectors representing each force in the appropriate direction, then place the tail of the second vector at the head of the first vector. If we have forward forces F1 = 60 N and F2 = 90 N, and backward forces F3 = 100 N and F4 = 65 N, the resultant force would be the sum of forward forces minus the sum of backward forces: (60 N + 90 N) - (100 N + 65 N), giving a net force of 155 N - 165 N = -10 N backward.

The free-body diagram is an essential tool in understanding such dynamics, as it visually represents all the forces acting on an object, allowing clear calculation of the net force and application of the net force equation to deduce acceleration, friction, or other forces in play.

Answer 2

To find the net force, you need to consider the difference between the forces applied by the offensive and defensive lines. Since forces have both magnitude and direction, the net force is determined by subtracting the smaller force from the larger one.

\[ \text{Net Force} = \text{Force}_{\text{defensive}} - \text{Force}_{\text{offensive}} \]

\[ \text{Net Force} = 150 \, \text{N} - 100 \, \text{N} \]

\[ \text{Net Force} = 50 \, \text{N} \]

The net force is 50 N. Now, to determine the direction, it's important to note that the direction is from the larger force to the smaller force. In this case, the larger force is applied by the defensive line, so the net force direction is to the right.

Therefore, the correct answer is:
b. 50 N to the right