Question

Suppose that the engine of a certain car can result in a maximum force of 15,000 N being applied to the car from the road. In the absence of any other forces, what is the maximum acceleration this engine can produce in a 1250-kg car?

a) 0.008 m/s²
b) 12 m/s²
c) 24 m/s²
d) 48 m/s²

Answer 1

The maximum acceleration a car's engine can produce is calculated using Newton's second law of motion (a = F/m). With a maximum force of 15,000 N and a mass of 1250 kg, the car's maximum acceleration would be 12 m/s².

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the maximum acceleration that a car's engine can produce, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force exerted on an object equals the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration (F = ma). Given that the maximum force is 15,000 N and the mass of the car is 1250 kg, we can rearrange the equation to solve for acceleration (a = F/m).

A simple division of the force (F) by the mass (m) gives us the acceleration:
a = 15000 N / 1250 kg = 12 m/s².

Therefore, the maximum acceleration this engine can produce in a 1250-kg car, in the absence of any other forces, is 12 m/s², which corresponds to option b).