Final answer:
To find the acceleration of the flea when subject to various forces, we use Newton's second law, accounting for the flea's exertion force, gravity, and the horizontal breeze force. We then calculate the resultant acceleration and its direction using the net forces in each direction and applying trigonometry.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves the calculation of the acceleration of a flea when different forces are acting upon it, including the force of gravity. To find the acceleration, we apply Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration (F = ma).
Considering the gravitational force, which is the weight of the flea (mass x gravitational acceleration), we subtract from it the force exerted by the flea. For the horizontal motion, the only force is that from the breeze. By calculating these, we can determine the overall magnitude and direction of the flea's acceleration.
To find the acceleration due to the flea’s jump and the breeze while including the force of gravity, we note the following: The vertical force exerted by the flea (1.20 × 10-5 N) opposes the force of gravity (gravity force = mass × gravity acceleration ≈ 6.00 × 10-7 kg × 9.8 m/s2), and the horizontal force is due to the breeze (0.500 × 10-6 N).
Using these forces, we calculate the net force in each direction and divide by the flea's mass to find the acceleration. As the forces are perpendicular, we use the Pythagorean theorem to find the resultant acceleration magnitude and trigonometry to find the direction.