Answer:
Choice d: support force (normal force) on the cat and the weight of the cat are equal in magnitude.
Explanation:
The cat in this question is stationary. As a result, the acceleration of this cat will be zero. By Newton's Second Law of Motion, the net force on this cat will also be zero.
If the floor is level, there will be two forces acting on this cat:
- The weight of the cat, which points downwards.
- The support force (normal force) of the floor on the cat, which points upwards.
For the net force to be zero, these two forces need to balance each other. For that, they need to have the same magnitude and point in opposite directions. Therefore, the magnitude of the support force (normal force) will be equal to the magnitude of the weight of this cat.
