4. The physics class is having a tug of war – the men against the women. For a long time the two teams are pulling with equal force and the knot in the centre of the rope isn’t going anywhere. But then one boy sneezes and stops pulling as hard for just a few seconds. Of course, he quickly recovers, and then pulling with equal strength once again. Who wins the tug of war based on this information? Apply Newton’s law correctly to explain why that is the case

Based on the given information, the women's team would win the tug of war in this scenario.

To understand why, we can apply Newton's first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia. According to this law, an object at rest or moving at a constant velocity will continue to do so unless acted upon by an external force.

In the initial situation where both teams are pulling with equal force and the knot in the center isn't moving, the forces on both sides of the rope are balanced, resulting in a state of equilibrium.

However, when the boy sneezes and momentarily stops pulling as hard, the equilibrium is disturbed. The women's team, which has been applying a constant force, will still continue to exert this force. In contrast, the men's team, momentarily reducing their force, experiences a net force imbalance.

According to Newton's second law of motion, the net force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration (F = ma). Since the men's team reduces their force, their acceleration decreases momentarily.

The decreased acceleration of the men's team compared to the unchanged force of the women's team leads to an unequal net force acting on the rope. As a result, the women's team gains an advantage and eventually pulls the knot towards their side, winning the tug of war.