Both statement I and statement II are individually true and statement II is the correct explanation of statement I.

Statement I: Pulling a lawn roller is easier than pushing it.

Explanation: When you pull a lawn roller, you can leverage your body weight and use your stronger muscles (such as your leg muscles) to provide the force required to move the roller. This makes it easier to pull the roller compared to pushing it, where you are relying more on your weaker muscles (such as your arm muscles). Therefore, pulling a lawn roller is generally easier than pushing it.

Statement II: Pushing increases the apparent weight and hence the force of friction.

Explanation: When you push an object, the force you apply increases the apparent weight of the object. This is because the object is pressed against the surface, resulting in an increase in the normal force (the force exerted by a surface to support the weight of an object resting on it). The force of friction is directly proportional to the normal force. So, when the normal force increases, the force of friction also increases. Therefore, pushing an object increases the force of friction.

The correct explanation for why pulling a lawn roller is easier than pushing it is that pushing increases the apparent weight and, in turn, the force of