Question

For a three-force body to be in equilibrium, identify the condition that must be true:

a. Net force is zero
b. Net torque is zero
c. Sum of forces is constant
d. Acceleration is zero.

Answer 1

For a three-force body to be in equilibrium, the net force must be zero (net F = 0), and as a second condition, the net torque also has to be zero to ensure no rotational motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

To ensure that a three-force body is in equilibrium, the condition that must hold true is that the net force is zero, which can be represented mathematically as net F = 0. For a three-force body to be in equilibrium, the net force must be zero (net F = 0), and as a second condition, the net torque also has to be zero to ensure no rotational motion.

This means that all the external forces acting upon the body cancel each other out. However, this is only the first condition of equilibrium; the second condition is that the net torque is also zero (net T = 0), to prevent any rotational motion.