what is the mass of a falling rock if it hits the ground with a force of 147 newtons
To determine the mass of a falling rock, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force (F) is equal to mass (m) multiplied by acceleration (a):
F = m * a
In this case, the force acting on the rock is 147 newtons. However, we do not have the value for acceleration given in the question. To calculate the mass of the rock, we need to determine the acceleration.
One way to find the acceleration experienced by a falling object is to use the equation for gravitational force:
F = m * g
Where F is the force due to gravity, m is the mass of the object, and g is the acceleration due to gravity (which is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared on the Earth's surface).
Since the force acting on the rock is the force it exerts when it hits the ground, we can assume that the force is due to gravity. Therefore, we can write the equation as:
147 N = m * 9.8 m/s^2
To solve for mass (m), we divide both sides of the equation by 9.8:
147 N / 9.8 m/s^2 = m
The units of Newtons cancel out, leaving us with the mass in kilograms (kg). So, the mass of the falling rock would be:
m = 147 N / 9.8 m/s^2
Now, we can calculate the mass by dividing 147 N by 9.8 m/s^2:
m = 15 kg
Therefore, the mass of the falling rock is 15 kilograms.