AI Tutor
Imagine playing tug-of-war when three extra people suddenly jump onto the other team's side of the rope.
The rope doesn't stay locked in place anymore — it suddenly jerks and speeds up toward the stronger side!

When Forces Don't Match

A force is simply a push or a pull, and scientists measure it in units called newtons (NN).
When opposing pushes or pulls on an object are not equal in strength, we call them unbalanced forces.
Because the left pull (300 N300\text{ N}) is stronger than the right pull (100 N100\text{ N}), the forces do not cancel each other out.
So how do we figure out exactly how much leftover force is actually moving the rope?

Finding the Net Force

The leftover combination of all forces acting on an object is called the net force.
When forces act in opposite directions, you find the net force by subtracting the smaller force from the larger force: 300 N−100 N=200 N300\text{ N} - 100\text{ N} = 200\text{ N}
What does this leftover force actually do to the object's speed and direction?