A horse pulls upon a wagon, but according to Newton’s third law the wagon pulls back with an equal and opposite force upon the horse. Use a free-body diagram and show all the involved forces.
i posted this question before but i still don't get it. Could someone explain what forces are involved in this problem?
Netforce=mass*acceleration.
If there is not acceleration, then net force must be zero. How can it be zero if something is pulling? ANS: something (friction?) is pulling back equal and opposite, so there is zero acceleration.
Certainly! Let's break down the forces involved in this scenario using a free-body diagram. A free-body diagram is a visual representation that shows all the forces acting on an object.
In this case, the object we are focusing on is the horse. Here are the forces involved:
1. Force of the horse pulling: This is the force exerted by the horse in order to pull the wagon. Let's label this force as "Fhorse".
2. Force of the wagon pulling back: According to Newton's third law, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Hence, as the horse pulls on the wagon, the wagon exerts a force back on the horse. Let's label this force as "Fwagon".
3. Force of gravity: This is the force with which the Earth attracts the horse downwards. Let's label this force as "Fgravity".
4. Normal force: This force counteracts the force of gravity and prevents the horse from sinking into the ground. It is directed perpendicular to the ground. Let's label this force as "Fn".
5. Friction force: This force opposes the motion of the horse and wagon. It acts between the wheels of the wagon and the ground. Let's label this force as "Ffriction".
So, in summary, the forces involved in this scenario are: Fhorse (force of the horse pulling), Fwagon (force of the wagon pulling back), Fgravity (force of gravity), Fn (normal force), and Ffriction (frictional force).
Remember, the force of the horse pulling is equal in magnitude to the force of the wagon pulling back, but they act in opposite directions (as dictated by Newton's third law). The remaining forces, gravity, normal force, and friction, also contribute to the overall forces acting on the horse.