Four movers pick up boxes. Each box has a different mass, and each mover applies a different amount of force to lift the box. Which box will have the greatest acceleration?
A. a 20 kg box lifted with 60 N of force
B. a 20 kg box lifted with 40 N of force
C. a 10 kg box lifted with 40 N of force
D. a 10 kg box lifted with 60 N of force
To determine which box will have the greatest acceleration, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that acceleration is directly proportional to the force applied and inversely proportional to the mass of the object. In equation form, this is written as:
acceleration = force / mass
Let's calculate the accelerations for each box:
A. acceleration = 60 N / 20 kg = 3 m/s^2
B. acceleration = 40 N / 20 kg = 2 m/s^2
C. acceleration = 40 N / 10 kg = 4 m/s^2
D. acceleration = 60 N / 10 kg = 6 m/s^2
From these calculations, we can see that box D, a 10 kg box lifted with 60 N of force, will have the greatest acceleration. Therefore, the correct answer is option D.