Question

Which method will correctly determine whether the forces on an object are balanced or unbalanced?

Add the forces in the horizontal direction to the forces in the vertical direction.
Add the forces in the horizontal and vertical directions separately.
Subtract the forces in the horizontal direction from the forces in the vertical direction.
Subtract the forces in the vertical direction from the forces in the horizontal direction.

Answer 1

2nd one, maybe.
if you add the forces BOTH in MAGNITUDE and DIRECTION to anything that's not accelerating, then they should cancel. the direction bit of this takes care of sometimes having to SUBTRACT, when you think you want to add.
Sorry about this ...

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