a heavy truck is slowing down because the driver has applied the brakes. what canyou conclude about the direction of the resultant force acting on the trck?
B. what is the resultant force acting on the truck when it has come to a halt?
In order to answer these questions, we need to understand two basic concepts: Newton's first law of motion and the concept of resultant force.
According to Newton's first law of motion, an object will stay in motion (or at rest) unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, the heavy truck is slowing down because the driver has applied the brakes. This means that an external force (the force of braking) is acting on the truck, causing it to reduce its speed.
Now, let's discuss the concept of resultant force. Resultant force is the overall force that results from the combination of multiple individual forces acting on an object. It is the net force that determines the object's acceleration or deceleration. If the resultant force is in the same direction as the motion, it will speed up the object. If the resultant force is in the opposite direction as the motion, it will slow down or decelerate the object.
In the given scenario, as the driver applies the brakes to the heavy truck, the direction of the braking force is opposite to the direction of the truck's motion. Thus, the resultant force acting on the truck is also in the opposite direction of the truck's motion. This resultant force will cause the truck to slow down and eventually come to a halt.
When the truck has finally come to a halt, the resultant force is equal to zero because there is no remaining force acting on the truck. At this point, the external forces (such as friction or air resistance) cancel out, resulting in a net force of zero.