What is the net force on an object if 12 N are directed to the right and 7 N are directed to the left act on it?

What is the net force on an object if 12 N are directed to the right and 7 N are directed to the left act on it?

• A. 19 N to the right
• B. 12 N to the right
• C. 5 N to the right
• D. 5 N to the left

Answer: (C)

When multiple forces act along the same line in opposite directions, you combine them by subtracting the smaller force from the larger and keeping the direction of the larger force. Here, 12 N acts to the right and 7 N acts to the left. Subtracting gives 12 − 7 = 5 N, directed to the right. So the net force is 5 N to the right, and the object would accelerate in that same rightward direction (assuming mass is positive). If you merely added magnitudes, you’d get 19 N, which ignores the cancellation from the opposite force; if you only considered the larger magnitude without accounting for the opposite force, you’d get 12 N to the right; the 5 N to the left would be the wrong direction for this situation.

When multiple forces act along the same line in opposite directions, you combine them by subtracting the smaller force from the larger and keeping the direction of the larger force. Here, 12 N acts to the right and 7 N acts to the left. Subtracting gives 12 − 7 = 5 N, directed to the right. So the net force is 5 N to the right, and the object would accelerate in that same rightward direction (assuming mass is positive). If you merely added magnitudes, you’d get 19 N, which ignores the cancellation from the opposite force; if you only considered the larger magnitude without accounting for the opposite force, you’d get 12 N to the right; the 5 N to the left would be the wrong direction for this situation.