The potential energy function for a conservative force acting in the x direction on a particle is shown below.The number of points where the net force on the particle is equal to zero are
A)B and D.
B)C and E.
C)B,C,D,and E.
D)A and F.
E)any point between C and D.

Question

The potential energy function for a conservative force acting in the x direction on a particle is shown below.The number of points where the net force on the particle is equal to zero are 
A)B and D. 
B)C and E. 
C)B,C,D,and E. 
D)A and F. 
E)any point between C and D.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The net force is equal to zero at points where the potential energy function has a minimum or maximum. From the given potential energy function, we can see that there are minima at points B, C, D, and E. Thus, the net force is equal to zero at these four points. The potential energy function also has a maximum at point A and a point of inflection at point F, but these do not correspond to points where the net force is equal to zero. Therefore, the best choice is C, which includes all the points where the net force is equal to zero.

The Potential Energy Function for a Conservative Force Acting in the X