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Difficulty: MediumNewton's First Law (Inertia)

In order for a heavy freight locomotive to maintain a constant, steady speed along a straight, level track, the forward pulling force it exerts must be greater than the combined forces of friction and air resistance acting against it.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False
The statement is false because maintaining a constant velocity requires all forces to be completely balanced (a net force of zero). The locomotive's forward pulling force must exactly equal the opposing forces of friction and air resistance, not exceed them. If the forward force were greater, the train would accelerate.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the locomotive's state of motion as described in the scenario.
The locomotive is traveling at a 'constant, steady speed along a straight, level track', which means it has a constant velocity (no change in speed or direction).
Understanding the state of motion is required to determine which of Newton's laws applies to the situation.
2
Apply Newton's First Law (Inertia) to the state of constant velocity.
An object traveling at a constant velocity must have a net force of exactly zero acting upon it.
Inertia ensures that an object will maintain its current velocity indefinitely unless acted upon by an unbalanced (net) force.
3
Determine the necessary relationship between the opposing forces to achieve a zero net force.
The forward pulling force must perfectly balance the backward forces of friction and air resistance.
If the forward force were greater than the opposing forces, there would be a net forward force, which would cause the locomotive to continuously accelerate rather than maintain a steady speed.

Key Concept

An object moving in a straight line at a constant speed has a net force of zero acting on it, meaning all applied driving forces perfectly balance all resisting forces.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Newton's First Law (Inertia)

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