What are the forces you exert on a briefcase as you hold it while standing at a bus stop?
You produce this force.
It acts downward.
CHOOSE THE ONES THAT APPLY TO THIS SCENARIO
A.The reaction is the force you exert on the briefcase.
B.It acts on the briefcase.
C.The briefcase produces this force.
D.It acts upward.
E. It acts on you.
CHOOSE THE ONES THAT APPLY TO THIS SCENARIO
A.The reaction is the force you exert on the briefcase.
B.It acts on the briefcase.
C.The briefcase produces this force.
D.It acts upward.
E. It acts on you.
F.You produce this force.
G.It acts downward.
The system is in equilibrium; therefore, the force you exert up is equal to the downward force exerted by briefcase.
excellent Henry, thanks. However, it is equal to the downward force exerted on the briefcase by gravity.
To determine the forces you exert on a briefcase while standing at a bus stop, it's helpful to understand the concept of Newton's laws of motion.
Firstly, Newton's first law states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, the briefcase is at rest since you are holding it without any vertical or horizontal motion. Therefore, no net force is required to keep it at rest in your hands.
However, there are a few forces at play when you hold the briefcase. The main force is the gravitational force, also known as the weight of the briefcase. This force pulls the briefcase downward towards the ground.
The reaction force, according to Newton's third law, is the force exerted by the briefcase on your hands (and vice versa). The weight of the briefcase acts downward, and your hands exert an equal and opposite force upward to counteract gravity and prevent the briefcase from falling.
Additionally, there might be some minor forces due to your grip on the handle of the briefcase to ensure it doesn't slip or slide. These forces are typically considered internal forces since they only affect the briefcase itself and are cancelled out when we calculate the net forces.
Overall, the main force you exert on the briefcase is the force required to counteract its weight and keep it from falling, while any additional forces are related to your grip on the briefcase.