Force Analysis: Direction of Object Movement

Four forces are exerted on each of the two objects as shown below:

A square labeled Object A is shown with an arrow pointing up labeled 5 N, an arrow pointing right labeled 2 N, an arrow pointing down labeled 5 N, and an arrow pointing left labeled 4 N. A square labeled Object B is shown with an arrow pointing up labeled 3 N, an arrow pointing right labeled 2 N, an arrow pointing down labeled 3 N, and an arrow pointing left labeled 1 N.

In which direction will the objects move?

Object A will move left and Object B will move right.

Final answer:

Object A will move to the left due to a net force of 2 N in that direction, and Object B will move to the right because of a net force of 1 N to the right. Forces that are equal and opposite cancel each other out.

Explanation:

To determine the direction in which objects A and B will move, we have to analyze the net force acting on each object. For Object A, the forces 5 N upwards and 5 N downwards cancel each other out, as they are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. However, the force of 4 N to the left and 2 N to the right do not cancel out, resulting in a net force of 2 N to the left. Therefore, Object A will move left.

For Object B, similar to Object A, the 3 N forces pointing upwards and downwards cancel each other out. The 2 N force to the right and 1 N to the left results in a net force of 1 N to the right. Therefore, Object B will move right.

The correct answer is Object A will move left and Object B will move right.