When a spider accelerates downwards on a silk strand, what equation accurately represents the forces acting on it?

When analyzing the forces acting on a spider that is accelerating downwards on a silk strand, it is essential to consider both the gravitational force and the tension force in the silk strand. The gravitational force acting on the spider is given by mg, where m is the mass of the spider and g is the acceleration due to gravity. This force causes the spider to accelerate downwards.

Tension in the silk strand opposes this gravitational force. When the spider accelerates downwards, it means that the net force acting on the spider is directed downwards. According to Newton's second law, the net force (F_net) is equal to the mass of the spider multiplied by its acceleration (ma).

In this scenario, the net force acting on the spider can be understood as the difference between the gravitational force and the tension force acting upward against it. The equation representing this net force can be written as:

T - mg = -ma

This means that the tension (T) is less than the gravitational force (mg), which results in the spider experiencing a net downward acceleration. Thus, the equation correctly describes that the difference in forces leads to the downward acceleration of the spider.

Understanding this relationship is critical for analyzing motion in various contexts involving forces in opposing