Question

What will happen if a car experiences a 300 N force to the right from the engine and a separate 150 N force due to friction and air resistance to the left? Show your work to support your position.

Answer 1

Force applied on the car due to engine is given as

$F_1 = 300 N$ towards right

Also there is a force on the car towards left due to air drag

$F_2 = 150 N$ towards left

now the net force on the car will be given as

$\vec F_{net} = \vec F_1 + \vec F_2$

now we can say that since the two forces are here opposite in direction so here the vector sum of two forces will be the algebraic difference of the two forces.

So we can say

$F_{net} = F_1 - F_2$

$F_{net} = 300 - 150$

$F_[net} = 150 N$

So here net force on the car will be 150 N towards right and hence it will accelerate due to same force.