Newton's First & Second Laws: What happens when a net (unbalanced) force acts on an object?

• A. The object’s mass increases, preventing any change in motion.
• B. The object moves with constant velocity because only balanced forces can change motion.
• C. The object accelerates in the direction of the net force (its velocity changes).
• D. The object remains at rest because unbalanced forces cancel out.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall Newton's First Law, which states that an object will remain at rest or move with constant velocity unless acted upon by a net external force.
2. Understand that a net (unbalanced) force means the forces acting on the object do not cancel each other out, resulting in a nonzero total force.
3. Apply Newton's Second Law, which relates the net force \(\vec{F}_{net}\) acting on an object to its mass \(m\) and acceleration \(\vec{a}\) by the equation \(\vec{F}_{net} = m \vec{a}\).
4. Recognize that since \(m\) is constant and \(\vec{F}_{net}\) is nonzero, the object must experience an acceleration \(\vec{a}\) in the direction of the net force.
5. Conclude that this acceleration means the object's velocity changes, so it does not remain at rest or move with constant velocity when a net force acts on it.