Answers with Explanations:
1. In what ways did balanced and unbalanced forces affect the motion of the gymnast.
The balanced force allowed the gymnast to stay still at the beginning before leaping, while the unbalanced force allowed her to move once she started to leap.
A "balance force" refers to the gravity and the opposing force (reaction force) that acts on an object. This allows the object to stay still, since the reaction force is same size to the weight of the object. Thus, the forces are balanced.
An "unbalanced force" refers to the driving force that is opposed by friction and air resistance force, provided that the driving force is greater than the friction and air resistance force. This allows the object to move or accelerate.
2. What forces caused her to rise into the air?
The forces which caused her to rise are the driving force and air resistance force. The driving force caused the gymnast to move forward or up in the air. This force is opposed by the air resistance force that slows down the gymnast. If the driving force is greater than the air resistance force, the gymnast will move forward or accelerate because the forces are unbalanced.
3. What forces are acting on the gymnast in the picture?
There are primarily 4 forces that are acting on the gymnast: the gravitational force (gravity), reaction force, driving force and air resistance force. The gravity and reaction force are responsible for the balanced forces acting on the gymnast, while the driving force and the air resistance force are responsible for the unbalanced forces acting on the gymnast.
