Joe pushes a 12.0 kg object with a force of 80.0 N. What is the acceleration of the object?

Joe pushes a 12.0 kg object with a force of 80.0 N. What is the acceleration of the object?

• A. 6.67 m/s^2
• B. 13.3 m/s^2
• C. 80.0 m/s^2
• D. 12.0 m/s^2

Answer: (A)

Newton's second law explains how acceleration comes from the net force on a mass: a = F/m. Here the object experiences a net force of 80.0 N and has a mass of 12.0 kg, so the acceleration is 80.0 ÷ 12.0 = 6.67 m/s^2. The units work out as N/kg = m/s^2, confirming the result. This shows why a given push results in a smaller acceleration for a heavier object.

Newton's second law explains how acceleration comes from the net force on a mass: a = F/m. Here the object experiences a net force of 80.0 N and has a mass of 12.0 kg, so the acceleration is 80.0 ÷ 12.0 = 6.67 m/s^2. The units work out as N/kg = m/s^2, confirming the result. This shows why a given push results in a smaller acceleration for a heavier object.