A 5 kg block on a frictionless horizontal surface is pushed with a 10 N force. What is its acceleration?

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Multiple Choice

A 5 kg block on a frictionless horizontal surface is pushed with a 10 N force. What is its acceleration?

Explanation:
Acceleration is found from F = ma. On a frictionless horizontal surface, the push is the only horizontal force, so the net force is 10 N. Using a = F/m, with mass 5 kg, gives a = 10 N / 5 kg = 2 m/s^2. This means the block speeds up by 2 meters per second each second. The other values would require different forces (for example, 0.5 m/s^2 would need 2.5 N, 10 m/s^2 would need 50 N, 5 m/s^2 would need 25 N), which aren’t present in this setup.

Acceleration is found from F = ma. On a frictionless horizontal surface, the push is the only horizontal force, so the net force is 10 N. Using a = F/m, with mass 5 kg, gives a = 10 N / 5 kg = 2 m/s^2. This means the block speeds up by 2 meters per second each second. The other values would require different forces (for example, 0.5 m/s^2 would need 2.5 N, 10 m/s^2 would need 50 N, 5 m/s^2 would need 25 N), which aren’t present in this setup.

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