Final answer:
The mass of the car is calculated using Newton's second law of motion, where force is 450 lb and acceleration is 10 ft/s². After dividing the force by the acceleration, the mass of the car is found to be 45 slugs, making option d) the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked what the mass of a car would be if a tow truck exerts a force of 450 lb on it, causing it to accelerate at 10 ft/s². To find the mass, we use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). However, since we are given the force in pounds and the acceleration in feet per second squared, the mass we find will be in slugs, where 1 slug is defined as the mass that accelerates by 1 ft/s² when a force of 1 pound-force is exerted on it.
To calculate the mass in slugs, we divide the force by the acceleration:
m = F/a = 450 lb / 10 ft/s² = 45 slugs
Therefore, the correct option is d) 45 slugs.