Calculating the Magnitude of an Object in Free Fall

[killer22]

Heres the question:

an 32.8 Newton object is in free fall.what is the mangniutude of the object if it encounters air resistance of 16.6 Newtons?

I think you subtract cause air resistance cuts down force:

32.8 - 16.6 = 16.2 Newtons


So am i right or do i need to use another equation?

 

[Astronuc]

Please clarify what is meant by "what is the mangniutude of the object".

The object weighs 32.8 N, and it encounters an opposing force (air resistance) of 16.6 N, then the resultant force is 16.2N, which would contribute to its accleration.

A body reaches terminal velocity (speed) when the at some velocity, the force of air resistance = weight of an object.

 

[quicknote]

Your thought process is correct, but the equation you are using is not quite accurate. In this case, we need to use the equation for net force, which takes into account both the force of gravity (32.8 Newtons) and the force of air resistance (16.6 Newtons). The equation is:
Net Force = Mass x Acceleration

To solve for the magnitude of the object, we rearrange the equation to solve for mass, since we already know the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s^2:
Mass = Net Force / Acceleration

Plugging in the values:
Mass = (32.8 - 16.6) / 9.8 = 1.67 kg

Therefore, the magnitude of the object in free fall is 1.67 kg. Keep in mind that this is the mass of the object, not the force. The magnitude of the force on the object would still be 32.8 Newtons, but the net force on the object taking into account air resistance would be 16.2 Newtons. Hope this helps!