When dragging a block at 2m/s with a force of 5N, what must the force of friction be?

In the scenario where a block is being dragged at a constant speed of 2 m/s with a force of 5 N, the key point to understand is the relationship between the applied force, friction, and motion.

When an object moves at a constant velocity, the net force acting on it is zero according to Newton’s first law of motion. This means that the force applied to drag the block must be balanced by the force of friction opposing that motion. Consequently, if the applied force is 5 N and the block is moving at a constant speed, the force of friction must counteract the applied force exactly to maintain that constant speed.

Therefore, in this case, the force of friction is equal to the applied force of 5 N. This balance ensures that there is no acceleration and that the block continues to move steadily at 2 m/s.