A sledgehammer has a mass of 4 kilograms. What net force, to the nearest whole newton, will a person need to apply to accelerate the sledgehammer at a rate of 2.5 m/s2?
To find the net force required to accelerate the sledgehammer at a rate of 2.5 m/s^2, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states:
\[ F = ma \]
Where:
F = net force (in newtons)
m = mass of the object (in kilograms)
a = acceleration of the object (in m/s^2)
Given:
m = 4 kg (mass of the sledgehammer)
a = 2.5 m/s^2 (acceleration of the sledgehammer)
Substitute these values into the equation:
\[ F = 4 kg \times 2.5 m/s^2 \]
\[ F = 10 N \]
Therefore, a net force of 10 newtons will be needed to accelerate the sledgehammer at a rate of 2.5 m/s^2.