What are opposing forces?

Opposing forces are forces that act in opposite directions to one another. This concept is fundamental in physics, particularly in the study of dynamics. When two forces exert equal magnitude but in opposing directions, they can cancel each other out, resulting in a state of equilibrium. For example, if you push a box to the right while someone else pushes it to the left with equal force, the box will not move because the forces are opposing each other.

This understanding of opposing forces is critical when analyzing motion and predicting how objects will behave under different conditions, such as friction, tension, and gravity, which can all produce opposing forces. The other options reflect different concepts; forces that work together do not fit this definition, nor do forces specifically related to motion or heat, which do not inherently involve opposition.