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Multiple Choice
In the context of conservation of energy, what does it mean if the net force on an object?
A
The object must be at rest and its energy is .
B
The object is accelerating and its kinetic energy is increasing.
C
The object moves with constant velocity and its kinetic energy remains unchanged.
D
The object is losing energy due to friction.
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Verified step by step guidance
1
Recall that the net force on an object is related to its acceleration by Newton's second law: \(\vec{F}_{\text{net}} = m \vec{a}\), where \(m\) is the mass and \(\vec{a}\) is the acceleration.
If the net force \(\vec{F}_{\text{net}} = 0\), then from Newton's second law, the acceleration \(\vec{a} = 0\).
Zero acceleration means the object's velocity is constant; it could be at rest or moving at a constant speed in a straight line.
Since the velocity is constant, the kinetic energy, which depends on velocity as \(K = \frac{1}{2} m v^2\), remains unchanged over time.
Therefore, in the context of conservation of energy, a zero net force implies no change in kinetic energy and motion with constant velocity.