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What does a free-body diagram show?
AOnly the external forces acting on a body
BBoth the internal and external forces at work
COnly the internal forces inside the body
DThe velocity and the acceleration of a body
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Only the external forces acting on a body
1. A free-body diagram illustrates all the external forces acting on a body.
2. The body itself is drawn as a single isolated point, with force vectors extending from it.
3. Internal forces within the body are left out, because only external forces affect its motion.
4. Only forces are drawn, so velocity and acceleration never appear on the diagram.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Dynamics: Force and Newton's Laws of Motion", section 4.1 Development of Force Concept_
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