MC Question!
An object of mass 5kg is acted upon by exactly four forces, each with magnitude 10N. Which of the following could NOT be the resulting acceleration of the object?
A. 0 m/s^2
B. 2 m/s^2
C. 4 m/s^2
D. 8 m/s^2
E. 10 m/s^2

Question

MC Question!
An object of mass 5kg is acted upon by exactly four forces, each with magnitude 10N. Which of the following could NOT be the resulting acceleration of the object?
A. 0 m/s^2
B. 2 m/s^2
C. 4 m/s^2
D. 8 m/s^2
E. 10 m/s^2

anonymous · Answer

Is this object in a gravitational field? I.e, does it have weight?

anonymous · Answer

It doesn't say, but the answer's E, if that helps.

anonymous · Answer

The maximum magnitude of force the object can be given is 40N. This is when the arrangement of Forces is in series, one horizontal 10N force followed by another 10N horizontal force etc etc. Using Newton's 2nd law and acknowledging the fact the mass is 5kg, you cannot obtain an acceleration greater than 9ms/s (40/5). That's how I'd answer it, not sure if that's the most elegant approach