Two people push a box from opposite directions; the box does not move. Which statement best explains this result? (1 point) Balanced forces do not cause motion. The box pushes back on the people. Push forces do not cause motion. The forces have different magnitudes.
The box pushes back on the people.
The statement that best explains this result is "Balanced forces do not cause motion."
The best explanation for why the box does not move when two people push it from opposite directions is that balanced forces do not cause motion.
When two people push the box in opposite directions, they exert equal and opposite forces on the box. According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, the box pushes back on the people with an equal force. As a result, the forces acting on the box are balanced, meaning they cancel each other out.
When the forces are balanced, there is no net force acting on the box. According to Newton's second law of motion, the net force determines the acceleration of an object. If the net force is zero, as is the case here, the box will remain at rest or continue to move with a constant velocity (if it was already in motion).
It's important to note that the other statements provided are not entirely accurate in this context. While the box indeed pushes back on the people, it is the balanced forces that prevent the box from moving, and it is not related to the magnitudes of the forces being different.