Understanding the Concepts
* Newton's Second Law of Motion: This law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. Mathematically, it's expressed as: F = m * a
* F = Force (in Newtons, N)
* m = Mass (in kilograms, kg)
* a = Acceleration (in meters per second squared, m/s²)
Solving the Problem
1. Identify the given values:
* Mass (m) = 22 kg
* Force (F) = 12 N
2. Rearrange the formula to solve for acceleration (a):
* a = F / m
3. Plug in the values and calculate:
* a = 12 N / 22 kg
* a ≈ 0.55 m/s²
Answer: The acceleration of the cart is approximately 0.55 m/s².