Directions for Set-Up
Before Pressing Go, which way do you think the cart will move? (None, Right, Left)
Why does the cart move that way?
What is the sum & direction of the forces?
(example: 70 Left)
Place 1 small blue guy on the very end of the left rope & 1 small red guy on the very end of the right rope
Before pressing Go, the cart will move to the right. This is because there is a greater net force acting on the cart in the right direction.
The cart moves to the right because the net force acting on it is greater in that direction. The net force is determined by adding up all the individual forces acting on the cart.
Place the medium blue guy on the very end of the left rope & 1 small red guy on the very end of the right rope
Place the big blue guy on the very end of the left rope & add all 4 of the red guys to the right rope
Before pressing Go, the cart will still move to the right. This is because the net force acting on the cart is still greater in the right direction.
The medium blue guy on the left rope adds to the force in the left direction, but it is still not enough to overcome the force of the big blue guy and the four red guys on the right rope.
The big blue guy on the left rope adds even more force in the left direction, but again, it is still not enough to overcome the force of the big blue guy and the four red guys on the right rope. The sum of the forces is still greater in the right direction, resulting in the cart moving to the right.
Before pressing Go, the cart will still move to the right. This is because there is still a greater net force acting on the cart in the right direction.
The sum of the forces can be determined by assigning a positive value to forces pointing to the right and a negative value to forces pointing to the left. In this case, let's say the small blue guy exerts a force of 10 units to the left, the medium blue guy exerts a force of 20 units to the left, and each red guy exerts a force of 5 units to the right.
The sum of the forces can be calculated as follows:
Force in the right direction = (4 * 5) = 20 units
Force in the left direction = 10 + 20 = 30 units
The net force is then determined by subtracting the force in the left direction from the force in the right direction:
Net force = 20 units - 30 units = -10 units
Since the net force is negative (-10 units), the cart will move in the direction of the greater force, which is to the right.
Before pressing Go, the cart will still move to the right. This is because the net force acting on the cart is still greater in the right direction. The added weight of the medium blue guy on the left rope and the small red guy on the right rope is not enough to overcome the force exerted by the big blue guy on the left rope and the four red guys on the right rope.
The sum and direction of the forces can be calculated by considering the weights of the individuals on each rope. Let's assume the weight of the small blue guy is 10 units, the weight of the medium blue guy is 20 units, and the weight of each red guy is 5 units. The sum and direction of the forces would be:
Sum of forces = (Weight of big blue guy + Weight of medium blue guy) - (Total weight of red guys)
Direction of forces = Right
Sum of forces = (30 + 20) - (4 * 5)
Direction of forces = Right
Sum of forces = 50 - 20
Direction of forces = Right
Sum of forces = 30
Direction of forces = Right
Therefore, the sum and direction of the forces is 30 Right.