Final answer:
The net force acting on the truck is calculated as the product of the truck's mass (1800 kg) and the given acceleration (1.16 m/s²), which equals 2088 Newtons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The net force acting on a truck with a mass of 1800 kg that pulls a 620 kg trailer away from a stoplight with an acceleration of 1.16 m/s² can be calculated using Newton's second law of motion. The law states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration (F=ma).
To find the net force acting on the truck itself, we use only its mass:
F = m × a
= (1800 kg) × (1.16 m/s²)
= 2088 N
Therefore, the net force acting on the truck is 2088 Newtons.