Balanced Forces When pushes match, nothing budges.

Daily Examples

Balanced forces cancel each other. Look around—where have you felt them?

1

Closed door

Push equally from both sides and the door stays still—forces balance.

2

Tug-of-war pause

When teams pull equally, the rope does not move—net force is zero.

3

Arm-wrestling lock

If neither player’s hand moves, their pushes match perfectly—balanced forces.

Pro Tip:

Drag each example into “Moves” or “Stays still” boxes to test your idea of balanced forces.

What Is It?

Balanced Force

Equal-magnitude forces act in opposite directions on the same object. Net force \(=0\). The object stays at rest or moves with constant speed.

Key condition: no acceleration, no change in motion.

Block on Table

NCERT Fig. 8.3 wooden block

NCERT Fig. 8.3

Equal pulls = Balanced force

NCERT Fig. 8.3 shows a wooden block pulled from both sides.

Arrows of equal length mean each student applies the same force in opposite directions.

The opposite forces cancel, net force becomes 0 N, and the block stays still.

Key Points:

  • Balanced forces act in opposite directions with equal magnitude.
  • Net force 0 N → no motion or acceleration.

Multiple Choice Question

Question

A book rests on a table. Gravity pulls it downward with 10 N and the table pushes it upward with 10 N. What is the net force acting on the book?

1
0 N (balanced)
2
0 N downward
3
10 N upward
4
20 N upward

Hint:

Balanced forces cancel each other, leaving zero net force.

Key Takeaways

Equal & opposite

Forces have same size but push in opposite directions.

Net force = 0

Their vector sum cancels out, producing zero net force.

Motion unchanged

Object stays at rest or moves with constant velocity.

Common in life

Examples: book on table, tug of war stalemate.

Need imbalance

An unbalanced force is needed to start, stop or change motion.