A truck driving on a level highway is acted on by the...

A truck driving on a level highway is acted on by the following forces: a downward gravitational force of $52 \mathrm{kN}$ (kilonewtons); an upward contact force due to the road of $52 \mathrm{kN} ;$ another contact force due to the road of $7 \mathrm{kN},$ directed east; and a drag force due to air resistance of $5 \mathrm{kN}$, directed west. What is the net force acting on the truck?

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Key Concepts

Vector Addition

Force is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. Vector addition is the method used to combine forces acting on an object by breaking them into components, usually along perpendicular axes, and then summing these components to obtain the overall force.

Force Equilibrium

Force equilibrium occurs when all the forces acting on an object balance each other so that the net force is zero. Recognizing equilibrium is important because if opposing forces cancel out, an object will either remain at rest or continue moving at constant velocity.

Net Force

The net force is the total force acting on an object after all individual forces are combined vectorially. It determines the acceleration of the object according to Newton’s second law, and calculating it involves summing forces from all directions, taking both magnitude and direction into account.

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