Question 31
Trial Force (N) Acceleration (m/s^2)
1 10 N 2.5
2 12 3
3 22 5.5
Students are running an experiment in which they are measuring the acceleration after applying forces to a cart. Using the data above, what is the mass of the cart?
a
2 kg
b
4 kg
c
6 kg
d
8 kg
To find the mass of the cart, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force applied to an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.
We can rearrange this equation to solve for mass:
mass = force / acceleration
Let's calculate the mass using the data provided:
For Trial 1:
Force = 10 N
Acceleration = 2.5 m/s^2
mass = 10 N / 2.5 m/s^2
mass = 4 kg
For Trial 2:
Force = 12 N
Acceleration = 3 m/s^2
mass = 12 N / 3 m/s^2
mass = 4 kg
For Trial 3:
Force = 22 N
Acceleration = 5.5 m/s^2
mass = 22 N / 5.5 m/s^2
mass = 4 kg
Based on the calculations above, the mass of the cart is 4 kg, so the correct answer is (b) 4 kg.