What is Net Force?
The Net force is the total force acting on an object. The net force depends on whether the forces involved are acting in the same or opposite directions.
Forces in Opposite Directions
Forces acting on a body in opposite directions get subtracted to give a net force. They can be further divided into 2 types –
- Equal forces – Forces having the same magnitude but opposite directions cancel out, making the net force on the object zero. Hence, the object remains stationary or unmoved.
- Unequal forces – When forces having an opposite direction and an unequal magnitude act on a body, the net force is the difference of the two magnitudes and acts in the direction of the force which is greater of the
 Forces in the Same Direction
Two forces of the same or different magnitude acting on an object in the same direction, add up to produce a net force on the body that acts in the same direction as the two forces.
 Summary
| Net Force | Total force acting on an object |
| Forces in the Opposite Direction | Forces acting in the opposite directions get subtracted |
| Forces in the Same Direction | Forces acting in the same direction get added |
Did you know?
The net force acting on an object falling down is the same as its weight force. The acceleration
of the object is same as the acceleration due to Earth’s gravity.
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