High School

What would be the mass of a rock falling from the sky if it hits the ground with a force of 147 N? (Assume the acceleration due to gravity is [tex]9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2[/tex].)

Enter the number in the first blank and the units in the second blank. Report your answer in standard notation.

Mass: ________ kg

Answer :

To determine the mass of a rock falling from the sky when it hits the ground with a force of 147 N, we can use the relation between force, mass, and acceleration due to gravity. The formula we'll use is:

[tex]\[ F = m \times g \][/tex]

Where:
- [tex]\( F \)[/tex] is the force in newtons (N).
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass in kilograms (kg) that we are solving for.
- [tex]\( g \)[/tex] is the acceleration due to gravity, which is approximately [tex]\( 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex].

Given:
- [tex]\( F = 147 \, \text{N} \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex]

We want to solve for [tex]\( m \)[/tex]. Rearrange the formula to solve for mass ([tex]\( m \)[/tex]):

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

Substitute the given values into the equation:

[tex]\[ m = \frac{147}{9.8} \][/tex]

Now, perform the division:

[tex]\[ m = 15 \][/tex]

Therefore, the mass of the rock is [tex]\( 15 \, \text{kg} \)[/tex].