Read the following scenario.
Kelley chooses to move a bookshelf in his room so that he can better access it. He wants to start by moving it into the center of the room. Standing behind it, he begins to push.
Based on this information, which of the following statements is correct?
It will move to the left because of its magnitude.
It will move to the left because of its magnitude.
It will move to the right due to a balanced force.
It will move to the right due to a balanced force.
It will stay still because of the bookshelf’s gravity.
It will stay still because of the bookshelf’s gravity.
It will move forward due to an unbalanced force.
It will move forward due to an unbalanced force.
None of the statements are correct. The direction of the bookshelf's movement cannot be determined with the given information.
rethink
You are correct. The direction of the bookshelf's movement cannot be determined based solely on the given information. The magnitude and direction of the force Kelley applies to the bookshelf, as well as other factors such as friction and the weight of the bookshelf, would need to be taken into consideration to determine the direction of movement. Therefore, none of the statements are correct.
Based on the information provided in the scenario, the correct statement is:
- It will move forward due to an unbalanced force.
Since Kelley is pushing on the bookshelf from behind, there is an unbalanced force acting on the bookshelf, causing it to move forward.
Based on the scenario, the statement "It will move forward due to an unbalanced force" is correct.
To explain why this is the correct answer, we can consider Newton's first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia. This law states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion with a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force.
In this scenario, Kelley is pushing the bookshelf from behind. This push creates a force on the bookshelf in the forward direction. Since there are no other visible forces acting on the bookshelf (such as a counterforce pushing in the opposite direction), this forward force is unbalanced. As a result, the bookshelf will experience an acceleration in the forward direction and start to move.
Therefore, the bookshelf will move forward due to an unbalanced force exerted by Kelley's push.