Question

A 600 N force pushes a 20 kg mass from the left, and a 190 N force pushes the same mass from the right. What is the mass' acceleration?

a. 16 m/s² to the left
b. 16 m/s² to the right
c. 5 m/s² to the left
d. 5 m/s² to the right

Answer 1

The mass' acceleration is 20.5 m/s² to the left.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the mass' acceleration, we need to calculate the net force acting on the mass. The net force is the difference between the two forces: 600 N - 190 N = 410 N. We can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that F = ma, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration. Rearranging the formula to solve for acceleration, we have a = F/m. Plugging in the values, we get a = 410 N / 20 kg = 20.5 m/s². However, the direction of the acceleration depends on the net force. Since the force from the left is greater, the mass will accelerate in that direction. Therefore, the mass' acceleration is 20.5 m/s² to the left. So the correct answer is a. 16 m/s² to the left.