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, this is represented as:
* F = m * a
Where:
* F is the net force (in Newtons, N)
* m is the mass (in kilograms, kg)
* a is the acceleration (in meters per second squared, m/s²)
Calculation
1. Identify the given values:
* Mass (m) = 2 kg
* Net Force (F) = 20 N
2. Rearrange the formula to solve for acceleration (a):
* a = F / m
3. Substitute the values and calculate:
* a = 20 N / 2 kg
* a = 10 m/s²
Answer: The acceleration of the 2 kg block on the friction-free air table is 10 m/s².