Question

A cart at rest is acted up on by 80 N force towards left and 60 N force towards right. What is the magnitude of the net force on the cart and in which direction will the cart move?

• A. 20 N, right
• B. 40 N, left
• C. 20 N, left
• D. 80 N, right

Answer 1

The correct option is C 20 N, left

When two forces are applied on a body but in opposite directions, then the resultant force on the body is equal to the difference between the forces.
As given, force applied towards left is 80 N and force applied towards right is 60 N.
The net force will be the difference of both the forces, i.e. 80 N – 60 N = 20 N. The direction of resultant force will be the direction in which the larger force acts, i.e. to the left side.