Question

A 10kg box is pushed across a horizontal floor with a constant force of 300 N. If the frictional force is 100 N the acceleration of the box is?

Answer 1

To determine the acceleration of the box, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass.

Given:

Mass of the box (m) = 10 kg

Applied force (F) = 300 N

Frictional force (f) = 100 N

The net force acting on the box is the difference between the applied force and the frictional force:

Net force (F_net) = F - f

Using Newton's second law, we have:

F_net = m * a

Substituting the given values:

F_net = 10 kg * a

F_net = 10a

Since F_net is equal to the difference between the applied force and the frictional force, we have:

10a = F - f

10a = 300 N - 100 N

10a = 200 N

Solving for a:

a = (200 N) / 10 kg

a = 20 m/s^2

Therefore, the acceleration of the box is 20 m/s^2.