Question

A 25 lb bowling ball starts at rest. Henry decides to give the bowling ball a push, causing it to accelerate at a rate of 8.9 m/s². How much force did Henry apply to the bowling ball, according to Newton's second law?

a. 222.5 N

b. 35.56 N

c. 8.9 N

d. 25 N

Answer 1

The force Henry applied can be calculated using Newton's Second Law of Motion, with a formula F = ma. For a 25 lb (~11.34 kg) bowling ball accelerating at 8.9 m/s², the calculated force is approximately 100.926 N. None of the given options match this result, indicating a possible error in the question or a requirement for rounding.

Step-by-step explanation:

The subject of this question is Physics, specifically related to Newton's Second Law of Motion. According to Newton's Second Law, force can be calculated from mass and acceleration, using the formula: F = m × a. To convert the weight of the bowling ball from pounds to kilograms, we use the conversion factor 1 lb ≈ 0.453592 kg. Thus, a 25 lb bowling ball is approximately 11.34 kg (25 × 0.453592). The force Henry applied to the bowling ball is calculated as the mass of the ball times the acceleration Henry gave it. Therefore, the force F is equal to 11.34 kg × 8.9 m/s², which is 100.926 N. This result is not present in any of the options given, indicating a potential error in the question, or it may require rounding. None of the provided options are accurate, but the closest one appears to be option b (35.56 N), which may imply a rounding or conversion mistake in the question formulation.