Calculate this Force PLEASE

Question

anonymous · Answer

A jar of honey with a mass of 7.4 kg is nudged off the kitchen counter and falls 1.4 meter to the floor. 

What force acts on the jar during its fall?

anonymous · Answer

Force = mass times acceleration

you probably want the work done which is

$$W = mgh = 9.81 m s^{-2} \times 7.4 kg \times 1.4m$$

shane_b · Answer

"What force acts on the jar during its fall? "

The force of gravity...  $$F=mg=7.4kg(-9.8m/s^2)=?$$Assuming that in your problem you're assuming a downward direction is negative.

shane_b · Answer

There are other forces as well (drag) but my guess is that the intent of the question is to ignore them since they will be negligible.

anonymous · Answer

Right, that's what i thought, but It's wrong. -72.52 N is wrong

anonymous · Answer

Any other Ideas?

anonymous · Answer

7.4*-9.81 = -72.52

shane_b · Answer

Did you try limiting your answer to the correct number of significant figures?  That would make it 73N (+ or - depending on your coordinate system)...or 74N if you're using 10m/s^2 as the acceleration due to gravity value.

anonymous · Answer

nope. thats not it either. I'll talk to my professor