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 a ball, we can 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.

Here’s how you can solve it:

1. Convert the mass to kilograms: The mass of the ball is given as 140 grams. Since there are 1000 grams in a kilogram, you divide by 1000 to convert the mass into kilograms.

[tex]\[
m = \frac{140 \, \text{g}}{1000} = 0.140 \, \text{kg}
\][/tex]

2. Use the formula to calculate the force: The acceleration [tex]\( a \)[/tex] is given as 25 m/s[tex]\(^2\)[/tex]. Plugging these values into the formula:

[tex]\[
F = ma = 0.140 \, \text{kg} \times 25 \, \text{m/s}^2
\][/tex]

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

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