Consider two tennis balls on a flat table. The two balls touch each other and are at rest. Which of the following equations is Newton's law in the vertical direction for the tennis ball closer to the observer? use N for normal forces, F for contact forces between the two balls, and W for weights.
F + W = 0
F - W = 0
N + W = 0
N - W = 0
N - F = 0
F, and W are in different directions. How can the sum be in the vertical?
I think it would be N-W = 0
because my FBD for the ball would be
N
^
|
F<--BALL
|
v
W
Sorry, the FBD kind of messed up. The ball is in the middle with the F force coming out on the left of the ball.
Is this answer correct?
I don't know yet...but I think that should be the right answer.
To determine which equation represents Newton's law in the vertical direction for the tennis ball closer to the observer, we need to consider the forces acting on the ball.
In this scenario, we have the weight of the tennis ball (W) acting downward due to gravity. Additionally, we have the normal force (N) acting upward, which is the force exerted by the table to support the ball. Finally, we have the force of contact (F) between the two balls, which is in the horizontal direction and not relevant to the vertical motion.
Since we are focusing on the vertical direction, the equation that represents Newton's law for the tennis ball closer to the observer would be:
N - W = 0
This equation shows that the upward force of the normal force (N) is equal to the downward force of the weight (W), resulting in a state of equilibrium where the net force in the vertical direction is zero.
Therefore, the correct equation is:
N - W = 0