A 4 kg block experiences a net force of 8 N. What is its acceleration?

A 4 kg block experiences a net force of 8 N. What is its acceleration?

• A. 0.5 m/s^2
• B. 2 m/s^2
• C. 8 m/s^2
• D. 4 m/s^2

Answer: (B)

Newton's second law tells us that acceleration equals net force divided by mass, and it points in the direction of the net force. With a net force of 8 N on a 4 kg block, the acceleration is a = F/m = 8/4 = 2 m/s^2. So the correct choice is 2 m/s^2. The other values don’t fit because different accelerations would require different combinations of force and mass (for this mass, 0.5 m/s^2 would need about 2 N, 8 m/s^2 would need 1 kg, and 4 m/s^2 would need 16 N).

Newton's second law tells us that acceleration equals net force divided by mass, and it points in the direction of the net force. With a net force of 8 N on a 4 kg block, the acceleration is a = F/m = 8/4 = 2 m/s^2. So the correct choice is 2 m/s^2. The other values don’t fit because different accelerations would require different combinations of force and mass (for this mass, 0.5 m/s^2 would need about 2 N, 8 m/s^2 would need 1 kg, and 4 m/s^2 would need 16 N).