Question26. Three boxes are tied together and pulled across a frictionless surface by a force of 40.0 N . a. What is the acceleration of the system?
Studdy Solution
STEP 1
1. The surface is frictionless.
2. The force applied is 40.0 N.
3. The masses of the boxes are 12.0 kg, 1.00 kg, and 10.0 kg.
4. The boxes are tied together, so they move as a single system.
5. We are trying to find the acceleration of the entire system.
STEP 2
1. Calculate the total mass of the system.
2. Use Newton's second law to find the acceleration.
STEP 3
Calculate the total mass of the system by adding the masses of all three boxes.
STEP 4
Use Newton's second law, which states that the force applied to an object is equal to the mass of the object times its acceleration ().
Rearrange the formula to solve for acceleration ():
Substitute the given values into the equation:
Calculate the acceleration:
The acceleration of the system is approximately:
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