Question

A block of mass M placed inside a box descends vertically with acceleration 'a'. The block exerts a force equal to one-fourth of its weight on the floor of the box. The value of 'a' will be

A. g/4
B. g/2
C. 3g/4
D. g

Answer 1

The value of 'a' is one-fourth of the acceleration due to gravity (g/4).

Step-by-step explanation:

The force exerted by the block on the floor of the box is equal to one-fourth of its weight. To find the value of acceleration 'a', we can use Newton's second law, which states that the net force on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration (F = ma). In this case, the net force is the force exerted by the block. The weight of the block is equal to its mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity (W = mg). Therefore, we have:

Force exerted by the block = m * a

Weight of the block = m * g

Since the force exerted by the block is one-fourth of its weight, we can write:

m * a = (1/4) * (m * g)

Simplifying the equation:

a = (1/4) * g

Therefore, the value of 'a' is one-fourth of the acceleration due to gravity (g/4).