Here's why:
* Force is a vector: Force has both magnitude (how strong it is) and direction.
* Opposite directions: When forces act in opposite directions, they have opposing effects on the object's motion.
* Net force: To find the overall effect of the forces, we need to find the net force. The net force is the sum of all the forces acting on an object. Since the forces are in opposite directions, we subtract the smaller force from the larger force.
Example:
* If a force of 10 N is pushing an object to the right and a force of 5 N is pushing it to the left, the net force is 10 N - 5 N = 5 N to the right. The object will move to the right.
