Suppose a particle is being accelerated through space by a 10-N force. Suddenly the particle encounters a second force of 10 N in the opposite direction from the first force. The particle with both forces acting on it
A) continues at the speed it had when it encountered the second force.
B) is brought to a rapid halt.
C) decelerates gradually to a halt.
D) theoretically tends to accelerate toward the speed of light.
E) none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a particle encounters a second force of equal magnitude but in the opposite direction of the first force, the net force acting on the particle becomes zero. According to Newton's first law of motion, an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Since the forces balance each other out, there is no unbalanced force to change the particle's state of motion, so it continues at the speed it had when it encountered the second force.

Suppose a Particle Is Being Accelerated Through Space by a 10-N