Question

1. standing on earth, gravity exerts a downward force on you, yet you dont fall toward the center of the planet.

a. name the other force that acts on you and keeps you in equilibrium.
b. what is the direction of the other force?
c. what do you know about the strength of this other force?

Explanation:

• a. According to Newton's third law and the concept of equilibrium in physics, when standing on the Earth, the normal force acts against gravity.
• b. The normal force is perpendicular to the surface (upward in the case of standing on a horizontal Earth - surface).
• c. In equilibrium (no acceleration), from Newton's second law \(F = ma\) (where \(a = 0\)), the sum of forces \(F_{net}=F_{gravity}+F_{normal}=0\), so \(F_{normal}=-F_{gravity}\), meaning they have equal magnitudes.

Answer:

a. Normal force
b. Upward (perpendicular to the surface of contact)
c. It has the same magnitude as the gravitational force acting on you.