Question

1. a brave potato named spudnick jumps from a plane. gravity yanks it down with 12 n, while its tiny parachute provides 11.8 n of air resistance upward. calculate the net force and direction.

Explanation:

Step1: Define forces

Let the force of gravity $F_g = 12\ N$ (down - ward, so positive in the downward direction) and the air - resistance force $F_{air}=11.8\ N$ (upward, so negative in the downward direction).

Step2: Calculate net force

The net force $F_{net}$ is given by the formula $F_{net}=F_g + F_{air}$.
Substitute the values: $F_{net}=12\ N+( - 11.8\ N)$.
$F_{net}=12 - 11.8=0.2\ N$.
Since $F_{net}>0$, the direction is downward.

Answer:

The net force is $0.2\ N$ downward.