Question

Only four forces act on an object. They all have the same magnitude. Their directions are north, south, northwest, and northeast. In which direction does the object accelerate? (A) north (B) south (C) northwest (D) northeast (E) The object does not accelerate because the four forces cancel.

Answer 1

Answer:

the correct answer is A,   North

Explanation:

The forces are vectors so they must be added vectorially.

The magnitude of the forces is the same, but not their direction, which is why they are different.

Analyze the situation presented

We have a force towards the North and another towards the South with the same magnitude, therefore these cancel each other out

We have a force towards the Northeast and another towards the Northwest, these can be decomposed into parts, one towards the North and another on the East-West axis, this last component is canceled, but the component towards the North is added.

In summary we see that the body accelerates towards the North

the correct answer is A