Indentify the direction of the netforce in each of the following situations.
A marble moves in a circular path inside a paper plate at a constant speed.
The moon orbits the earth.
An air hockey puck moves smoothly across the air hockey table after being struck.
A rocket is launched upward from the launch pad.
Thank You
To identify the direction of the net force in each of the situations described, we need to consider the motion of the objects and determine any forces acting on them. The net force is the vector sum of all the forces acting on an object.
1. A marble moves in a circular path inside a paper plate at a constant speed:
In this case, the marble experiences a centripetal force that keeps it moving in a circular path. The net force acts toward the center of the circular path. So, the direction of the net force is towards the center of the paper plate.
2. The moon orbits the earth:
The moon orbits the Earth due to the gravitational force between the two objects. The net force acting on the moon is directed towards the center of the Earth. Therefore, the direction of the net force is towards the Earth.
3. An air hockey puck moves smoothly across the air hockey table after being struck:
When the air hockey puck moves smoothly across the table, it experiences very little friction. The main force acting on the puck is the initial force applied when it was struck. Assuming the strike was straight across the table, the net force will also be in the same direction as the strike. So, the direction of the net force is in the direction of the strike.
4. A rocket is launched upward from the launch pad:
During the rocket launch, there are multiple forces involved. Initially, the rocket experiences a thrust force pushing it upward from the rocket engines. However, it also experiences the force due to gravity pulling it downward. As long as the force due to thrust is greater than the force due to gravity, the rocket will continue to move upward. Therefore, the direction of the net force is upward.
It is important to note that forces always have both magnitude and direction, and the net force determines the motion of an object. So, by understanding the forces acting on an object, we can determine the direction of the net force.