Final answer:
To find the mass of a shopping cart being pushed with an acceleration of 0.25 m/s² and an applied force of 20 N, we use Newton's second law (F = ma), which gives us a mass of 80 kg.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks for the mass of a shopping cart being pushed with a given acceleration and an applied force. To find the mass, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). The applied force is given as 20 N (Newtons) and the acceleration is 0.25 m/s2 (meters per second squared).
To solve for the mass (m), we rearrange the equation to get: m = F/a. Plugging in the values, we have m = 20 N / 0.25 m/s2 = 80 kg (kilograms). Therefore, the mass of the shopping cart is 80 kg.