Free-body diagram: simple cases
A box is at rest on a flat table. Which free-body diagram is correct?
- mg down and N up
- mg down, N up, some other force F to the right
- mg down, N up, equal-and-opposite forces left and right
- could be 1 or 3
A box is moving at constant velocity to the right. Which free-body diagram is correct?
- mg down and N up
- mg down, N up, some other force F to the right
- mg down, N up, equal-and-opposite forces left and right
- could be 1 or 3
In both cases above, mg and N are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. Are these the equal-and-opposite forces discussed in Newton's Third Law?
- Yes
- No
Constant acceleration
A box is accelerating to the right on a flat table. Which free-body diagram is correct?
- mg down and N up
- mg down, N up, some other force F to the right
- mg down, N up, a force right and a smaller force left
- could be 2 or 3