Question:

A car of mass 1500 kg is traveling at a constant speed of 25 m/s along a straight road. Suddenly, the driver applies the brakes, causing the car to decelerate at a rate of 5 m/s². What is the net force acting on the car during this deceleration?

Answer:

To find the net force acting on the car during deceleration, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force (F_net) acting on an object is equal to the mass (m) of the object multiplied by its acceleration (a):

F_net = m * a

Given: mass of the car (m) = 1500 kg deceleration (a) = -5 m/s² (negative sign indicates deceleration)

Substituting the given values into the formula, we have:

F_net = 1500 kg * (-5 m/s²) F_net = -7500 kg·m/s²

The magnitude of the net force is 7500 N, and it acts in the opposite direction to the motion of the car. Therefore, the net force acting on the car during deceleration is -7500 N.

Note: The negative sign indicates that the net force acts in the opposite direction of the car's initial motion.