Mary pushes horizontally on a large, heavy table which is standing alone in the middle of a room, and notes that the table does not move despite the fact that she is pushing on it (see the figure). Why doesn't the table move?
A) Very massive objects, such as the table, are difficult to set into motion because of their large inertia.
B) The table pushes back on Mary with a force that is even larger than Mary's pushing force.
C) The force of gravity pulls downward on the table, and this force cancels the pushing force.
D) A frictional force is also exerted by the floor on the table, and this force is equal and opposite to the pushing force.
E) The table exerts a force on Mary, and this force is equal and opposite to the pushing force.

Question

Mary pushes horizontally on a large, heavy table which is standing alone in the middle of a room, and notes that the table does not move despite the fact that she is pushing on it (see the figure). Why doesn't the table move?
A) Very massive objects, such as the table, are difficult to set into motion because of their large inertia. 
B) The table pushes back on Mary with a force that is even larger than Mary's pushing force. 
C) The force of gravity pulls downward on the table, and this force cancels the pushing force. 
D) A frictional force is also exerted by the floor on the table, and this force is equal and opposite to the pushing force. 
E) The table exerts a force on Mary, and this force is equal and opposite to the pushing force.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer of  Mary pushes horizontally on a large, heavy table which is standing alone in the middle of a room, and notes that the table does not move despite the fact that she is pushing on it (see the figure). Why doesn't the table move?
A) Very massive objects, such as the table, are difficult to set into motion because of their large inertia. 
B) The table pushes back on Mary with a force that is even larger than Mary's pushing force. 
C) The force of gravity pulls downward on the table, and this force cancels the pushing force. 
D) A frictional force is also exerted by the floor on the table, and this force is equal and opposite to the pushing force. 
E) The table exerts a force on Mary, and this force is equal and opposite to the pushing force.

Mary Pushes Horizontally on a Large, Heavy Table Which Is