Assume all other forces on the rope are balanced. Which statement describes the forces on the rope?
The forces are unbalanced, so there is a net force on the rope. The forces are balanced, so there is no net force on the rope.
Kurt and Gary are playing tug-of-war. Kurt is pulling on one end of a rope with a force of 230N. Gary is pulling on the other end of the rope with a force of 300N.
A force is a push or a pull that acts on an object. Every force has a direction and a magnitude, or strength. If two forces act on an object in opposite directions, the forces are called opposing forces.
When opposing forces have the same magnitude, they are balanced. If all the forces on an object are balanced, there is no net force on the object.
When opposing forces have different magnitudes, the forces are unbalanced. If any forces on an object are unbalanced, there is a net force on the object.
To determine if there is a net force on the rope, look at the forces:
Kurt is pulling the rope toward himself with a force of 230 N.
Gary is pulling the rope toward himself with a force of 300 N.
The forces are in opposite directions, and the forces have different magnitudes: 230 N and 300 N. This means that the forces are unbalanced, so there is a net force on the rope.