State the reason why a steel sphere resting on a horizontal surface is said to be in neutral equilibrium.
it is there, still, so it is in an equilibrium. However any small force can cause it to move.
I don't
A steel sphere resting on a horizontal surface is said to be in neutral equilibrium because its center of gravity coincides with the point of support, resulting in no net force or torque acting on the sphere. In other words, any slight disturbance or displacement from its original position will not cause the sphere to move or rotate on its own.
To understand why the sphere is in neutral equilibrium, we need to consider the concept of the center of gravity. The center of gravity is the point where the weight of an object can be considered to act. For a symmetrical object like a sphere, the center of gravity is located at the geometric center of the sphere.
In this case, since the steel sphere is resting on a horizontal surface, the point of support is directly underneath the center of the sphere. This means that the weight of the sphere is vertically downward, passing through the point of support.
When an object is in equilibrium, it means that the net force and net torque acting on it are both zero. In this situation, the weight of the sphere acts vertically downward, balanced by an equal but opposite normal force exerted by the surface upwards. Since these two forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, their vector sum is zero, resulting in no net force.
Furthermore, since the center of gravity and the point of support coincide, there is no lever arm or perpendicular distance between them. As a result, there is no torque acting on the sphere, which means no rotational motion or tendency to rotate is present.
Therefore, because the steel sphere is in a state of neutral equilibrium, it remains at rest when placed on a horizontal surface, even if it is slightly displaced from its original position.