Questions: An object accelerates 8.2 m / s^2 when a force of 20.1 newtons is applied to it. What is the mass of the object?

Solution Steps

We are given the acceleration \( a = 8.2 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) and the force \( F = 20.1 \, \text{N} \).

Newton's second law states that the force applied to an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration: \[ F = m \cdot a \] where \( F \) is the force, \( m \) is the mass, and \( a \) is the acceleration.

Rearrange the formula to solve for the mass \( m \): \[ m = \frac{F}{a} \]

Substitute the given values into the equation: \[ m = \frac{20.1 \, \text{N}}{8.2 \, \text{m/s}^2} \]

Perform the division to find the mass: \[ m = \frac{20.1}{8.2} \approx 2.4512 \, \text{kg} \]

Final Answer