High School

A 10.0 kg cannonball is fired from a 145 kg cannon with a force of 850.0 N to the east. What is the acceleration of the cannonball?

Select one:
A. [tex]85.0 \, \text{m/s}^2[/tex] to the west
B. [tex]85.0 \, \text{m/s}^2[/tex] to the east
C. [tex]5.86 \, \text{m/s}^2[/tex] to the east
D. [tex]5.86 \, \text{m/s}^2[/tex] to the west

Answer :

To solve this problem, we need to find the acceleration of the cannonball when it is fired from the cannon. We can use Newton's second law of motion, which states:

[tex]\[ F = ma \][/tex]

Where:
- [tex]\( F \)[/tex] is the force applied (in Newtons, N)
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass of the object (in kilograms, kg)
- [tex]\( a \)[/tex] is the acceleration (in meters per second squared, m/s²)

We are given the following values:
- The force [tex]\( F \)[/tex] is 850.0 N to the East.
- The mass [tex]\( m \)[/tex] of the cannonball is 10.0 kg.

We can rearrange the formula to solve for acceleration [tex]\( a \)[/tex]:

[tex]\[ a = \frac{F}{m} \][/tex]

Substitute the known values into the equation:

[tex]\[ a = \frac{850.0 \, \text{N}}{10.0 \, \text{kg}} \][/tex]

[tex]\[ a = 85.0 \, \text{m/s}^2 \][/tex]

Since the force is applied to the East, the acceleration will also be to the East. Therefore, the correct answer is:
b. [tex]\(85.0 \, \text{m/s}^2\)[/tex] to the east.