During a period when the object moves with constant velocity, are the forces balanced?

During a period when the object moves with constant velocity, are the forces balanced?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Cannot be determined
• D. Not enough information

Answer: (A)

Constant velocity means there is no acceleration, so the net force on the object must be zero. According to Newton’s second law, F_net = m a, and with a = 0, F_net = 0. That means all the forces acting on the object balance each other; they can be present in different directions, but their sum is zero. So even though there might be individual pushes or drags, they must cancel out to keep the velocity constant. The other options would imply some nonzero net force or lack of information, which isn’t the case here.

Constant velocity means there is no acceleration, so the net force on the object must be zero. According to Newton’s second law, F_net = m a, and with a = 0, F_net = 0. That means all the forces acting on the object balance each other; they can be present in different directions, but their sum is zero. So even though there might be individual pushes or drags, they must cancel out to keep the velocity constant. The other options would imply some nonzero net force or lack of information, which isn’t the case here.