Consider a 1.8 kg ball and a 5.2 kg ball in free fall. What is the net force acting on each? What is the acceleration of each?
To determine the net force acting on each ball and their corresponding acceleration, we can apply Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.
For the 1.8 kg ball:
Since the ball is in free fall, we know that the only force acting on it is gravity. The force of gravity can be calculated using the equation F = m * g, where F is the force, m is the mass, and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s² on Earth). Plugging in the values, we get:
F = 1.8 kg * 9.8 m/s² = 17.64 N
Therefore, the net force acting on the 1.8 kg ball is 17.64 Newtons.
To find the acceleration, we can rearrange the equation mentioned earlier to solve for acceleration:
F = m * a
a = F / m
Substituting the values we found earlier, we get:
a = 17.64 N / 1.8 kg = 9.8 m/s²
Therefore, the acceleration of the 1.8 kg ball is 9.8 m/s².
Similarly, for the 5.2 kg ball:
Using the same equation and plugging in the values, we get:
F = 5.2 kg * 9.8 m/s² = 50.96 N
Therefore, the net force acting on the 5.2 kg ball is 50.96 Newtons.
Using the equation for acceleration, we can find:
a = 50.96 N / 5.2 kg = 9.8 m/s²
Therefore, the acceleration of the 5.2 kg ball is also 9.8 m/s².
In conclusion, both the 1.8 kg ball and the 5.2 kg ball have a net force of 9.8 Newtons acting on them and an acceleration of 9.8 m/s² in free fall.