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 solve this problem, we need to calculate the force required to accelerate a ball with a known mass at a specific acceleration. We use the formula:

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

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

Here are the steps to find the solution:

1. Convert the Mass to Kilograms:
The mass of the ball is given as 140 grams. We need to convert this mass into kilograms because the standard unit for mass in physics formulas is kilograms (kg).

[tex]\[
\text{mass in kg} = \frac{140 \text{ g}}{1000} = 0.14 \text{ kg}
\][/tex]

2. Use the Formula [tex]\( F = ma \)[/tex]:
The acceleration [tex]\( a \)[/tex] is given as 25 meters per second squared (m/s²). Now, we can substitute the values into the formula:

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

3. Calculate the Force:
Multiply the mass by the acceleration to find the force.

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

Therefore, the force needed to accelerate the ball at 25 m/s² is 3.5 newtons (N). So, the correct answer is 3.5 N.