How Net Force Affects Space Vehicles

What is the magnitude of the net force on a 160-kilogram space vehicle traveling along a straight line at a constant speed of 800. meters per second?

1) 0 N
2) 1.60 × 10^2 N
3) 8.00 × 10^2 N
4) 1.28 × 10^5 N

Answer:

The correct answer is (1) 0 N.

According to Newton's First Law of Motion, an object will remain at rest or move at a constant velocity unless acted upon by a net external force. In this case, the 160-kilogram space vehicle is traveling along a straight line at a constant speed of 800 meters per second. Since the speed is constant and the vehicle is not accelerating or decelerating, the net force acting on the space vehicle is zero.

Since the space vehicle is moving at a constant speed in a straight line, there is no change in its velocity which means there is no acceleration. As a result, the net force on the space vehicle is equal to zero, as demonstrated by the answer choice (1) 0 N.

Any mass moving in a straight line at a constant speed will have no net force acting on it, as explained by Newton's First Law of Motion. This principle applies to the scenario of the space vehicle traveling along a straight line at a constant speed.