A 2500 kg car is traveling west with 400 Newtons of applied force. The friction of the road is 100 Newtons. What is the magnitude of a car’s acceleration? how to solve
To solve for the magnitude of the car's acceleration, you can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration:
Net force = mass × acceleration
In this case, the net force acting on the car is the difference between the applied force and the friction force:
Net force = Force applied - Friction force
Given that the force applied is 400 Newtons and the friction force is 100 Newtons, we can substitute these values into the equation:
Net force = 400 N - 100 N = 300 N
And we have the mass of the car is 2500 kg.
Using Newton's second law, we can solve for the acceleration:
300 N = 2500 kg × acceleration
Divide both sides of the equation by 2500 kg:
acceleration = 300 N / 2500 kg = 0.12 m/s^2
Therefore, the magnitude of the car's acceleration is 0.12 m/s^2.