A cork of mass 10 g is floating on water. The net force acting on the cork is

Options

A. 10N
B. `10^(-3)N`
C. `10^(-2)N`
D. zero

Explanation

To solve the problem of finding the net force acting on a cork of mass 10 g floating on water, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Forces Acting on the Cork**:
- The cork experiences two main forces:
- The **gravitational force (weight)** acting downwards, which is given by \( mg \).
- The **buoyant force (upthrust)** acting upwards, which is equal to the weight of the water displaced by the cork.

2. **Calculate the Weight of the Cork**:
- The mass of the cork is given as 10 g. We need to convert this into kilograms for standard SI units:
\[ m = 10 \, \text{g} = 0.01 \, \text{kg} \]
- The gravitational force (weight) can be calculated using the formula:
\[ F_g = mg \]
where \( g \) (acceleration due to gravity) is approximately \( 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \).
- Therefore,
\[ F_g = 0.01 \, \text{kg} \times 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 = 0.0981 \, \text{N} \]

3. **Understand the Buoyant Force**:
- According to Archimedes' principle, the buoyant force (upthrust) acting on the cork is equal to the weight of the water displaced by the cork. Since the cork is floating, this buoyant force equals the weight of the cork.
- Thus, the buoyant force \( F_b \) is also:
\[ F_b = 0.0981 \, \text{N} \]

4. **Determine the Net Force**:
- The net force acting on the cork can be calculated by subtracting the upward buoyant force from the downward gravitational force:
\[ F_{\text{net}} = F_g - F_b \]
- Since \( F_g = F_b \) when the cork is floating:
\[ F_{\text{net}} = 0.0981 \, \text{N} - 0.0981 \, \text{N} = 0 \, \text{N} \]

5. **Conclusion**:
- The net force acting on the cork is \( 0 \, \text{N} \). This indicates that the cork is in equilibrium, with the forces balanced.

### Final Answer:
The net force acting on the cork is **0 N**.