Question

A ball with a mass of 0.25 kg rolls horizontally along the sand and decelerates at a rate of 6 m/s². Calculate the force of friction that caused this deceleration.

A) 1.5 N
B) 1.0 N
C) 2.5 N
D) 2.0 N

Answer 1

Using Newton's second law, the force of friction causing the ball's deceleration is calculated as 1.5 N, corresponding to option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the force of friction that caused the ball's deceleration, we will use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = m * a). Given that the mass (m) is 0.25 kg and the deceleration (a) is -6 m/s² (negative because the ball is slowing down), we can calculate the frictional force.

F = m * a = 0.25 kg * (-6 m/s²) = -1.5 N

The negative sign indicates that the force of friction is acting in the opposite direction to the ball's motion. Since we are looking for the magnitude of this force, we can say that the force of friction is 1.5 N, which corresponds to option A.