+20 votes
in Velocity physics by
edited by

Your answer

Your name to display (optional):
Privacy: Your email address will only be used for sending these notifications.
+2 votes
by

No, two identical but opposite forces acting on an object cannot make it move forward without any loss of speed (velocity). According to Newton's second law of motion, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. The net force is the vector sum of all the forces acting on the object.

In the scenario you described, if two identical but opposite forces act on an object, they will cancel each other out, resulting in a net force of zero. When the net force is zero, the object will either remain at rest if it was initially stationary or continue moving with a constant velocity if it was already in motion.

However, if the object is initially at rest and the two forces are suddenly applied, the object may experience a brief acceleration due to the unbalanced forces acting on it. This could cause the object to start moving. But once the forces become balanced, the net force will be zero, and the object will continue moving at a constant velocity. There will be no further acceleration or change in velocity unless another force is applied.

In summary, while two identical but opposite forces can momentarily cause an object to start moving, the object cannot continue moving forward without any loss of speed (velocity) unless there is a continuous unbalanced force acting on it.

Welcome to Physicsgurus Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...