Question
What is the main force that must be overcome in order to push an object along a horizontal surface?
Answer
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Joel
Professional · Tutor for 6 years
Answer
The main force that must be overcome in order to push an object along a horizontal surface is Friction.
Explanation
## Step 1: Understand the Nature of the Forces When an object is pushed along a horizontal surface, there are several forces at work. These include the force you apply to the object, the weight of the object due to gravitational force, and the normal force which is exerted by the surface to support the object's weight. However, when moving an object horizontally, all forces that act vertically (the gravitational and the normal force) balance each other out, hence they are not the main forces to be overcome. ## Step 2: Identify the Main Force Even though there is an applied force in tackling an object, the particular force at work here and needs to be overcome for an object to initiate movement or maintain a steady velocity, is the force of friction. Friction acts parallel to the surface and opposite the direction of motion, making it the contending force in this context.### Formally: Resistance from Friction = Applied Force to achieve sustained motion