Exciting Physics Problem: Newton's Second Law of Motion

Are you ready to test your knowledge of Newton's Second Law of Motion?

Two dynamics carts are placed end to end. Cart 1 (1.2 kg) is stuck to cart 2 (1.8 kg). Cart 1 is pushed with a force of 18.9 N, causing cart 1 to push cart 2 forward.
a) Calculate the acceleration of each cart.

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According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, we compute the total net force acting on two carts that are moving together as a single object. With a total force of 18.9N and a total mass of 3.0kg, the acceleration of each cart is 6.3 m/s².

Newton's Second Law of Motion, F=ma, is a fundamental principle in physics that relates force, mass, and acceleration. In the given scenario, cart 1 is exerting a force of 18.9 N on cart 2, causing both carts to accelerate forward. Since the carts are stuck together, they can be treated as a single object with a combined mass of 3.0 kg.

By applying Newton's Second Law, we can calculate the acceleration of the carts. The formula for acceleration is a = F/m, where F is the force applied and m is the total mass. In this case, the total force acting on the system is 18.9 N, and the total mass is 3.0 kg. Plugging these values into the formula, we get:

Acceleration (a) = Force (F) / Total Mass (m) = 18.9 N / 3.0 kg = 6.3 m/s²

This means that both carts will accelerate at a rate of 6.3 m/s² while moving together as a single unit. Understanding and applying Newton's Second Law of Motion allows us to analyze the motion of objects and calculate their accelerations based on the forces acting upon them.