Newton's Second Law of Motion

Newton's Second Law of Motion states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. Mathematically:

* F = m * a

Where:

* F = Force (Newtons)

* m = Mass (kilograms)

* a = Acceleration (meters per second squared)

Solving for Acceleration

1. Rearrange the formula: We want to find acceleration (a), so we need to isolate it. Divide both sides of the equation by mass (m):

* a = F / m

2. Plug in the values:

* a = 40 N / 5 kg

3. Calculate:

* a = 8 m/s²

Therefore, the magnitude of the acceleration of the block is 8 meters per second squared.