Question

3. An 18.0 N force pulls a cart against a 15.0 N frictional force. The speed of the cart increases 1.0 m/s every 5.0 s. What is the cart's mass? ​

Answer 1

The total force on the cart is:

F = F(applied) - F(friction) = (18 N) - (15 N) = 3.0 N

The acceleration of the cart is:

a = (change in velocity)/(time) = (1.0 m/s)/(5.0 s) = 0.20 m/s^2

Using F = ma, the mass of the cart is:

m = F/a = (3.0 N)/(0.20 m/s^2) = 15 kg