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An object sliding across a rough table slows down and stops. What causes the slowing?
AThe friction acting on the object
BThe inertia acting on the object
CThe weight acting on the object
DThe normal force from the table
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The friction acting on the object
1. Making a surface smoother lets an object slide farther before stopping.
2. Extrapolating to a frictionless surface, the object would slide in a straight line indefinitely.
3. Friction is therefore the cause of the slowing, and it is an external force.
4. Inertia is a property rather than a force, so it cannot slow anything down.
5. Weight and the normal force act vertically here and cancel, so neither opposes the sliding.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Dynamics: Force and Newton's Laws of Motion", section 4.2 Newton's First Law of Motion: Inertia_
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