Final answer:
Using Newton's second law of motion, the resultant force on the supermarket trolley is calculated to be 10 N, which is the net force required to produce an acceleration of 0.5 m/s².
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves calculating the resultant force on a supermarket trolley that is being accelerated. To find this, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force (F) acting on an object is equal to the mass (m) of the object multiplied by its acceleration (a).
Newton's second law formula is F = m × a. Given the mass m of the trolley is 20 kg and the acceleration a of the trolley is 0.5 m/s², we can substitute these values into the formula to calculate the resultant force:
Resultant Force = 20 kg × 0.5 m/s² = 10 N
The calculated resultant force of 10 N is the net force required to give the trolley an acceleration of 0.5 m/s². This force accounts for all the forces acting on the trolley, including any opposing forces such as friction.