High School

A ball has a mass of 140 g. What is the force needed to accelerate the ball at [tex]$25 \, \text{m/s}^2$[/tex]?

(Formula: [tex]$F = ma$[/tex])

A. 3.5 N
B. 115 N
C. 165 N
D. 4.5 N

Answer :

To find the force needed to accelerate the ball, we use the formula:

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

where:
- [tex]\( F \)[/tex] is the force,
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass of the object,
- [tex]\( a \)[/tex] is the acceleration.

Let's break down the steps:

1. Convert the mass to kilograms: The mass of the ball is given as 140 grams. Since the standard unit for mass in physics is kilograms, we need to convert grams to kilograms.

[tex]\[ 140 \, \text{grams} = 0.14 \, \text{kilograms} \][/tex]

2. Identify the acceleration: The acceleration is given as [tex]\( 25 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex].

3. Plug values into the formula: Now, use the formula [tex]\( F = ma \)[/tex] to find the force.

[tex]\[ F = 0.14 \, \text{kg} \times 25 \, \text{m/s}^2 \][/tex]

4. Calculate the force:

[tex]\[ F = 0.14 \times 25 = 3.5 \, \text{N} \][/tex]

So, the force needed to accelerate the ball is 3.5 N. Thus, the correct answer is 3.5 N.