Question

A kangaroo carries her 0.53 kg baby in her pouch as she bounds across the ground. As she pushes off the ground, she is accelerating upward at 30 m/s². What is the force exerted by the kangaroo on her baby?

1) 0.53 N
2) 15.9 N
3) 16 N
4) 30 N

Answer 1

The force exerted by the kangaroo on her baby is calculated by multiplying the mass of the baby (0.53 kg) by the upward acceleration (30 m/s²), resulting in a force of 15.9 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is asking to calculate the force exerted by a kangaroo on her baby as she pushes off the ground with an acceleration of 30 m/s², while the baby has a mass of 0.53 kg. To find the force, we use Newton's second law, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = m * a). So, the force exerted on the baby is:

F = m * a = 0.53 kg * 30 m/s² = 15.9 N.

Therefore, the force exerted by the kangaroo on her baby is 15.9 N, which closely approximates to the given option 16 N (option 3).