Basically an object is being pulled by force of 150 N from both sides. The question asked to calculate magnitude of force?

The question did not explicitly mentioned whether it is the net force or the total applied force.

So I assumed it is the magnitude of total applied force 150 + 150 = 300 N

Isthe answer correct as in the question it was not explicitly mentioned and I do know that net force is 0 N

Just now, Spryzen said:

Basically an object is being pulled by force of 150 N from both sides. The question asked to calculate magnitude of force?

The question did not explicitly mentioned whether it is the net force or the total applied force.

So I assumed it is the magnitude of total applied force 150 + 150 = 300 N

Isthe answer correct as in the question it was not explicitly mentioned and I do know that net force is 0 N

Without seeing the question it is impossible to tell.

Strictly speaking neither zero nor 300 N can be correct but there must be more to it that meets the eye.

Where was this question and what are you studying ?

What do you know about forces ?

I can’t think of a physics context where you would add the magnitude of forces acting in different directions; force is a vector quantity. You’d only add magnitudes as vector components. So it sounds like a poorly-worded attempt to ask for the magnitude of the net force, in a way that doesn’t tip off a possible answer where it doesn’t make sense to ask for the direction.

There’s nothing physically meaningful about an answer of 300N, but I know that on occasion people will ask math questions where the physics is incorrect. (Feynman discussed one in one of his books involving finding an average temperature from a simple arithmetic mean. It also used a purple star as part of it, IIRC)

5 hours ago, studiot said:

Strictly speaking neither zero nor 300 N can be correct

Do tell.

The question is

An object is being puleed in east and west direction by the force of 150 N from both sides. What is the magnitude of force?

6 hours ago, studiot said:

Without seeing the question it is impossible to tell.

Strictly speaking neither zero nor 300 N can be correct but there must be more to it that meets the eye.

Where was this question and what are you studying ?

What do you know about forces ?

I know that the net force is 0 N but as in the question, I thought it was not explicitly stated so I wrote total magnitude of applied force which is 300 N.(already written this answer in exam) I feel like they should have mentioned whether net force or total applied force. Force is a push or a pull resulting from interaction between two objects. There are contact and non contact forces and also balanced and unbalanced forces.

4 hours ago, Spryzen said:

The question is

An object is being puleed in east and west direction by the force of 150 N from both sides. What is the magnitude of force?

I know that the net force is 0 N but as in the question, I thought it was not explicitly stated so I wrote total magnitude of applied force which is 300 N.(already written this answer in exam) I feel like they should have mentioned whether net force or total applied force. Force is a push or a pull resulting from interaction between two objects. There are contact and non contact forces and also balanced and unbalanced forces.

The total force is 0 N because force is a vector and the vector sum of all the forces on the object is 0 N.

By the way, have you ever seen this problem?

2 hours ago, Spryzen said:

The question is

An object is being puleed in east and west direction by the force of 150 N from both sides. What is the magnitude of force?

I know that the net force is 0 N but as in the question, I thought it was not explicitly stated so I wrote total magnitude of applied force which is 300 N.(already written this answer in exam) I feel like they should have mentioned whether net force or total applied force. Force is a push or a pull resulting from interaction between two objects. There are contact and non contact forces and also balanced and unbalanced forces.

Thank you for responding, with that useful information. +1

I asked because I am trying to be careful to avoid messing up your programme of study.

You have clearly picked up on something, perhaps as swansont said it was just a poorly worded question.
Were these the exact words of the question and nothing else ?

+1 to KJW for the excellent sketch, I for one have not seen before, but so obvious when posted.

So we come to that word 'vector' that I avoided, but both the other responders used.

Forces are usually introduced (in basic Physics) before vectors are introduced and often used a lead-in to vectors.

Have you come across vectors yet ?

In my day forces were introduced by way of a spring balance, like KJWs picture.
The whole class has a competition to see who could pull out the spring balance the furthest.

Vectors were not introduced until advanced school physics, and later still in Mathematics where they were introduced by way of velocity.

2 hours ago, Spryzen said:

Force is a push or a pull resulting from interaction between two objects. There are contact and non contact forces and also balanced and unbalanced forces.

Yes "Force is a push or a pull" is a good start.

The thing is that there are several thing you need to know at once about forces and your teachers have made a good start with with contact/non-contact and balanced/unbalanced.

The spring balance is good because it shows any Force has four particular important characteristics.

1. A line of action - more particularly a straight line of action.

2. A magnitude or numerical value.

3. A direction along that line.

4. A point of application.

Vectors are more general and do not necessarily have a point of application, as for example velocity is a vector without a point of application.

I will add one more thought to your contact/non-contact idea.

In order to represent all forces in the format of my items 1 - 4 we also distinguish body forces such as gravity which are distributed throughout the body and introduce the 'point of action or application' as a 'centre' the COG or cnetre of gravity in the case of gravity.

The force of gravity is often excluded, either deliberately or just forgotton, as in the case of the question "What is the force on a book lying on a table ?"

With the foregoing the student is well equipped to study lots more mechanics including Newton's Laws, equilibrium, net force', ' resultant force', 'total force', and so on.

~With this study will come some mathematics - equations and the like.

Depending upon the format of these equations and the mathematical sign conventions used your original question can be presented in several ways.

Assuming no other forces acting (excluding gravity)

Forces from the left = Forces from the right so your body is in equilibrium.

150N to the left = 150N to the right

Alternatively with the convention forces to the right are positive

The sum of all forces = 0 so your body is in equilibrium.

-(150N) + 150N = 0

Does this help ?

It is good to see someone really thinking about this.

Edited June 28Jun 28 by studiot

46 minutes ago, studiot said:

Thank you for responding, with that useful information. +1

I asked because I am trying to be careful to avoid messing up your programme of study.

You have clearly picked up on something, perhaps as swansont said it was just a poorly worded question.
Were these the exact words of the question and nothing else ?

+1 to KJW for the excellent sketch, I for one have not seen before, but so obvious when posted.

So we come to that word 'vector' that I avoided, but both the other responders used.

Forces are usually introduced (in basic Physics) before vectors are introduced and often used a lead-in to vectors.

Have you come across vectors yet ?

In my day forces were introduced by way of a spring balance, like KJWs picture.
The whole class has a competition to see who could pull out the spring balance the furthest.

Vectors were not introduced until advanced school physics, and later still in Mathematics where they were introduced by way of velocity.

Yes "Force is a push or a pull" is a good start.

The thing is that there are several thing you need to know at once about forces and your teachers have made a good start with with contact/non-contact and balanced/unbalanced.

The spring balance is good because it shows any Force has four particular important characteristics.

1. A line of action - more particularly a straight line of action.

2. A magnitude or numerical value.

3. A direction along that line.

4. A point of application.

Vectors are more general and do not necessarily have a point of application, as for example velocity is a vector without a point of application.

I will add one more thought to your contact/non-contact idea.

In order to represent all forces in the format of my items 1 - 4 we also distinguish body forces such as gravity which are distributed throughout the body and introduce the 'point of action or application' as a 'centre' the COG or cnetre of gravity in the case of gravity.

The force of gravity is often excluded, either deliberately or just forgotton, as in the case of the question "What is the force on a book lying on a table ?"

With the foregoing the student is well equipped to study lots more mechanics including Newton's Laws, equilibrium, net force', ' resultant force', 'total force', and so on.

~With this study will come some mathematics - equations and the like.

Depending upon the format of these equations and the mathematical sign conventions used your original question can be presented in several ways.

Assuming no other forces acting (excluding gravity)

Forces from the left = Forces from the right so your body is in equilibrium.

150N to the left = 150N to the right

Alternatively with the convention forces to the right are positive

The sum of all forces = 0 so your body is in equilibrium.

-(150N) + 150N = 0

Does this help ?

It is good to see someone really thinking about this.

I know about vector quantities as vector considers both magnitude and direction. Force is a vector quantity I know it too. In this exam question, I have already written answer 300 N and am seriously confused.

I feel like the question is vague as it did not describe magnitude of what?

Because if it has asked total applied then we can add it.

And these are the exact words of the questions.

Edited June 28Jun 28 by Spryzen

Just now, Spryzen said:

And these are the exact words of the questions.

Then I agree with you that the question was poorly worded, especially as it was an exam question.

Just now, Spryzen said:

I feel like the question is vague as it did not describe magnitude of what?

Because if it has asked total applied then we can add it.

I also agee that it was not clear what force they were asking for since you have evidently been taught to distinguish.

However there is also not enough information to answer the question since I would assume (as any schoolboy and KJW) that the object was on Earth since we are not told otherwise.

KJW's diagram relies on gravity so there must be a third force acting on the spring balance if we take that as the object. This, of course would be the weight, W, of the balance .

But KJW asked for the reading not the force acting, and there is a difference.

Since you have come across vectors can you say anything about the vector sum of the two or three forces that are acting ?

Did you also understand the difference between the two equations I wrote for you?

Have you come across the equation W = mass x g = mg ?

Finally can you think of another distributed force ?
This becomes important in situations where no one in their right minds would say that a pair of equal and opposing distributed forces mean zero force on an object.

Hopefully this discussion is helpful.

1 minute ago, Spryzen said:

I know about vector quantities as vector considers both magnitude and direction. Force is a vector quantity I know it too. In this exam question, I have already written answer 300 N and am seriously confused.

I feel like the question is vague as it did not describe magnitude of what?

Because if it has asked total applied then we can add it.

8 minutes ago, studiot said:

Then I agree with you that the question was poorly worded, especially as it was an exam question.

I also agee that it was not clear what force they were asking for since you have evidently been taught to distinguish.

However there is also not enough information to answer the question since I would assume (as any schoolboy and KJW) that the object was on Earth since we are not told otherwise.

KJW's diagram relies on gravity so there must be a third force acting on the spring balance if we take that as the object. This, of course would be the weight, W, of the balance .

But KJW asked for the reading not the force acting, and there is a difference.

Since you have come across vectors can you say anything about the vector sum of the two or three forces that are acting ?

Did you also understand the difference between the two equations I wrote for you?

Have you come across the equation W = mass x g = mg ?

Finally can you think of another distributed force ?
This becomes important in situations where no one in their right minds would say that a pair of equal and opposing distributed forces mean zero force on an object.

Hopefully this discussion is helpful.

Yes I have come across w = m x g. And mainly problem is if teacher does not award marks what do I do?. And I know difference between mass and weight. mass does not depend on gravitational force whereas weight depends on gravity

Just now, Spryzen said:

Yes I have come across w = m x g. And mainly problem is if teacher does not award marks what do I do?. And I know difference between mass and weight. mass does not depend on gravitational force whereas weight depends on gravity

I understand and sympathise with your need to obtain marks.

Perhs you could discuss the issues with you teacher ?

Remember I said you have to start somewhere, you can't do it all at once.

So teachers will not tell you everything at once, (I haven't done that either) but good teachers will take the time to explain further to those, like yourself, who are interested enough and intelligent enough to know a bit more.

Mass is one way of measuring the quantity of matter in a body.

This definition becomes important when studying forces and dynamics.

6 minutes ago, studiot said:

I understand and sympathise with your need to obtain marks.

Perhs you could discuss the issues with you teacher ?

Remember I said you have to start somewhere, you can't do it all at once.

So teachers will not tell you everything at once, (I haven't done that either) but good teachers will take the time to explain further to those, like yourself, who are interested enough and intelligent enough to know a bit more.

Mass is one way of measuring the quantity of matter in a body.

This definition becomes important when studying forces and dynamics.

Thanks. If teachers deduct marks, I will persuade and tell it is poorly worded. I just wanted to confirm. Mass is measured in kgs and weight in Newtons right? and W = mg( g is the acceleration due to gravity?)

Edited June 28Jun 28 by Spryzen

Just now, Spryzen said:

Thanks. If teachers deduct marks, I will persuade and tell it is poorly worded. I just wanted to confirm. Mass is measured in kgs and weight in Newtons right? and W = mg( g is the acceleration due to gravity?)

Yes of course, but just be glad you are studying under the MKS metric system.

There is also a unit of force called the kilogram-force or alternatively kilogram-weight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilogram-force

This short tutorial may also help

BBC Bitesize

Weight and mass - Forces and movement - KS3 Physics - BBC...

Weight and mass are very different. Find out more with BBC Bitesize. For students between the ages of 11 and 14.

11 minutes ago, studiot said:

Yes of course, but just be glad you are studying under the MKS metric system.

There is also a unit of force called the kilogram-force or alternatively kilogram-weight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilogram-force

This short tutorial may also help

BBC Bitesize

Weight and mass - Forces and movement - KS3 Physics - BBC...

Weight and mass are very different. Find out more with BBC Bitesize. For students between the ages of 11 and 14.

I read this article for 11-14 year old briefly and based on definition I think Mass is the measure of matter in a object and weight is the amoud of force acing on it due to gravity which is measured in Newton.

Studiot, swansot an update :

On 6/28/2025 at 6:35 PM, studiot said:

Then I agree with you that the question was poorly worded, especially as it was an exam question.

I also agee that it was not clear what force they were asking for since you have evidently been taught to distinguish.

However there is also not enough information to answer the question since I would assume (as any schoolboy and KJW) that the object was on Earth since we are not told otherwise.

KJW's diagram relies on gravity so there must be a third force acting on the spring balance if we take that as the object. This, of course would be the weight, W, of the balance .

But KJW asked for the reading not the force acting, and there is a difference.

Since you have come across vectors can you say anything about the vector sum of the two or three forces that are acting ?

Did you also understand the difference between the two equations I wrote for you?

Have you come across the equation W = mass x g = mg ?

Finally can you think of another distributed force ?
This becomes important in situations where no one in their right minds would say that a pair of equal and opposing distributed forces mean zero force on an object.

Hopefully this discussion is helpful.

The teacher has cut one mark on that question. The teacher is just rejecting and not even trying to understand my perspective at all. The teacher is also scolding BTW all questions' answers were correct only that one is wrong so only 1 mark cut but still he is not trying to understand my perspective.