A boy holds an apple


Why doesn’t gravity cause the apple to fall to the ground?

Responses

The force of his hand pushes up on the apple with equal magnitude to the force of gravity, which pulls down on the apple. The two forces are balanced, so the apple doesn't fall.

The force of his hand pushes up on the apple with greater magnitude than the force of gravity, which pulls down on the apple. The two forces are unbalanced, so the apple doesn't fall.

The force of his hand pushes up on the apple with equal magnitude to the force of gravity, which pulls down on the apple. The two forces are unbalanced, so the apple doesn't fall.

The force of his hand pushes up on the apple with greater magnitude than the force of gravity, which pulls down on the apple. The two forces are balanced, so the apple doesn't fall.

The force of his hand pushes up on the apple with equal magnitude to the force of gravity, which pulls down on the apple. The two forces are balanced, so the apple doesn't fall.

The correct response is: The force of his hand pushes up on the apple with equal magnitude to the force of gravity, which pulls down on the apple. The two forces are balanced, so the apple doesn't fall.

The correct answer is "The force of his hand pushes up on the apple with equal magnitude to the force of gravity, which pulls down on the apple. The two forces are balanced, so the apple doesn't fall."

Gravity is a force that pulls objects towards the center of the Earth. When the boy holds the apple, his hand applies an upward force on the apple. If the force applied by the boy's hand is equal in magnitude to the force of gravity pulling downward, the two forces balance each other out, resulting in a state of equilibrium. As a result, the apple remains stationary and does not fall to the ground.