Consider a force F = 815 N pulling 3 blocks of masses m1 = 7.94 kg, m2 = 15.3 kg, and m3 = 32.4 kg along a frictionless horizontal surface. Find the acceleration a of the blocks. Answer in units of m/s2.

To find the acceleration of the blocks, we can apply 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 its acceleration.

1. Calculate the total mass (M) of the system by adding up the masses of the three blocks:

M = m1 + m2 + m3

2. Substitute the given values into the equation:

M = 7.94 kg + 15.3 kg + 32.4 kg

3. Calculate the total force (F) applied to the blocks:

F = 815 N

4. Apply Newton's second law of motion to find the acceleration (a):

F = M * a

Rearranging the equation, we have:

a = F / M

5. Substitute the calculated values into the equation to find the acceleration:

a = 815 N / (7.94 kg + 15.3 kg + 32.4 kg)

a ≈ 8.68 m/s^2

Therefore, the acceleration of the blocks is approximately 8.68 m/s^2.