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If m1 has a mass of 1.5 kg and m2 has a mass of 9.2 kg, what is the acceleration of the system? Consider friction to be negligible. Round to the nearest 0.01 m/s^2.

(a) 0.16 m/s^2
(b) 1.47 m/s^2
(c) 0.14 m/s^2
(d) 1.56 m/s^2

2 Answers

1 vote

Final Answer:

Without additional information about forces acting on the system of two masses (1.5 kg and 9.2 kg), we cannot calculate a specific acceleration value. Hence, the acceleration remains indeterminate until further details are provided.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the acceleration of a system composed of two masses, m1 with a mass of 1.5 kg and m2 with a mass of 9.2 kg, we can use Newton's second law, which states that the net force acting on a system equals the mass of the system multiplied by its acceleration (F = ma).

Since friction is negligible, the only force we might consider is gravity for vertically oriented systems, but without additional information such as a force applied or a specific setup like an incline, we cannot determine a unique acceleration value.

The acceleration can be different depending on whether the system is on a horizontal surface, in free fall, or subject to some external force.

Therefore, we are missing specific data about forces acting on the system, and we can't calculate the acceleration.

If, hypothetically, a force was applied to both masses horizontally, the combined mass of the system would be m1 + m2 = 1.5 kg + 9.2 kg = 10.7 kg, and the acceleration of the system could be found using a = F / (m1 + m2), where F is the applied force.

User ViruMax
by
8.0k points
1 vote

Answer:

Without additional information about forces acting on the system of two masses (1.5 kg and 9.2 kg), we cannot calculate a specific acceleration value. Hence, the acceleration remains indeterminate until further details are provided.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the acceleration of a system composed of two masses, m1 with a mass of 1.5 kg and m2 with a mass of 9.2 kg, we can use Newton's second law, which states that the net force acting on a system equals the mass of the system multiplied by its acceleration (F = ma).

Since friction is negligible, the only force we might consider is gravity for vertically oriented systems, but without additional information such as a force applied or a specific setup like an incline, we cannot determine a unique acceleration value.

The acceleration can be different depending on whether the system is on a horizontal surface, in free fall, or subject to some external force.

Therefore, we are missing specific data about forces acting on the system, and we can't calculate the acceleration.

If, hypothetically, a force was applied to both masses horizontally, the combined mass of the system would be m1 + m2 = 1.5 kg + 9.2 kg = 10.7 kg, and the acceleration of the system could be found using a = F / (m1 + m2), where F is the applied force.

User Eslam Adel
by
7.7k points