How Do You Identify Forces Acting on an Object?

[alexas]

Consider the following tasks:

A. Draw a closed curve around the system.
B. Identify “the system” and “the environment.”
C. Draw a picture of the situation.

Which of these are steps used to identify the forces acting on an object?

A only
B only
C only
A, B, and C
None of themI was thinking A, B, and C? Am i correct?

 

[alexas]

I felt pretty positive with A, B, and C, and it turned out to be correct.

 

[nlightner]

Yes, you are correct. All three tasks are important steps in identifying the forces acting on an object. Drawing a closed curve around the system helps to define and isolate the object of interest. Identifying the system and the environment helps to determine the external forces acting on the object. Drawing a picture of the situation can also help to visualize the forces and their directions.