Question

Two children fight over a 200g stuffed bear. The 25kg boy pulls to the right with a 15N force and the 20kg girl pulls to the left with a 17N force. Ignore all other forces on the bear (such as its weight). Whats the magnitude?.

Answer 1

The masses of the children may not be taken into account since these are towards the ground and directly affecting the bear. The net force is the difference of the forces since they are acting on opposite sides. The magnitude of this net force is equal to 2N and the sign is to where the greater force is from. Therefore, the force is directed towards the left.