A 20-N force acts on a 5-kg object at rest. How fast will the object accelerate on a frictionless surface?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the acceleration of a 5-kg object that is acted upon by a 20-N force on a frictionless surface. To solve for acceleration, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). Therefore, we can rearrange the formula to find acceleration (a = F/m).
Answer
The acceleration is $4 \, \text{m/s}^2$.
Answer for screen readers
The acceleration of the object is $4 , \text{m/s}^2$.
Steps to Solve
- Identify the known values
We know the following values from the problem:
- Mass ($m$): 5 kg
- Force ($F$): 20 N
- Use Newton's second law of motion
According to Newton's second law, the formula for acceleration ($a$) can be expressed as follows:
$$ a = \frac{F}{m} $$
- Substitute the known values into the equation
Now, we will substitute the known values for force and mass into the equation:
$$ a = \frac{20 , \text{N}}{5 , \text{kg}} $$
- Calculate the acceleration
Now, we can perform the calculation:
$$ a = 4 , \text{m/s}^2 $$
The acceleration of the object is $4 , \text{m/s}^2$.
More Information
This answer is derived from applying Newton's second law of motion, which illustrates the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. In this case, a greater force acting on a smaller mass results in a higher acceleration.
Tips
- Incorrectly using units: Ensure that you always use the correct units when substituting values.
- Neglecting mass: If mass is overlooked, the formula will yield incorrect results.
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