High School

What is the acceleration due to gravity if a 15 kg falling rock produces a force of 147 N when it hits the ground?

Answer :

To find the acceleration of gravity when a 15 kg falling rock produces a force of 147 N, we can use Newton's second law of motion. This law tells us that force equals mass times acceleration, written as the formula:

[tex]\[ F = m \cdot a \][/tex]

Where:
- [tex]\( F \)[/tex] is the force in newtons (N),
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass in kilograms (kg),
- [tex]\( a \)[/tex] is the acceleration in meters per second squared (m/s²).

In this situation:
- The force [tex]\( F \)[/tex] exerted by the falling rock is 147 N.
- The mass [tex]\( m \)[/tex] of the rock is 15 kg.

We need to solve for the acceleration [tex]\( a \)[/tex]. Rearrange the formula to isolate [tex]\( a \)[/tex]:

[tex]\[ a = \frac{F}{m} \][/tex]

Plug in the given values:

[tex]\[ a = \frac{147 \, \text{N}}{15 \, \text{kg}} \][/tex]

When we perform the division, we find:

[tex]\[ a = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \][/tex]

Therefore, the acceleration of gravity is [tex]\( 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex]. This is a typical value for the acceleration due to gravity on Earth's surface.