A 72kg person jumps off a bathroom scale. Determine the acceleration of the person when the scale reads 840N.
To determine the acceleration of the person, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration:
Force = mass × acceleration.
In this case, the force acting on the person is the normal force exerted by the bathroom scale, which we are given as 840 N. The mass of the person is given as 72 kg.
Rearranging the equation, we have:
acceleration = force / mass.
Plugging in the given values, we get:
acceleration = 840 N / 72 kg.
Simplifying the expression, we find:
acceleration = 11.67 m/s².
Therefore, the acceleration of the person when the scale reads 840 N is approximately 11.67 m/s².