Students were attempting to move a large box. The forces on the box are shown below.
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Which of the following must be true in order for the box to move west?
P and R are equal forces, but N is greater than Q.
P and R are equal forces, but Q is greater than N.
N and R are equal forces, but Q is greater than P.
P is greater than R, and Q is greater than N.
P is greater than R, and Q is greater than N.
In order for the box to move west, we need to consider the forces acting on the box. From the given information, we can observe that there are four forces in play: P, Q, N, and R.
Since we want the box to move west, we need a net force acting in the westward direction. This means that the westward forces should be greater than the eastward forces.
Looking at the options, we can rule out the first two options because in both cases, P and R are equal forces, which means they will cancel each other out.
In the third option, N and R are equal forces. Since they are equal, they will cancel each other out and will not result in a net force to move the box west.
Therefore, the only remaining option is: P is greater than R, and Q is greater than N. This means that the force P is larger than force R, and force Q is larger than force N. This will result in a net force in the westward direction, allowing the box to move west.