To find the mass of the encyclopedia, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which is stated as:
[tex]\[ F = m \cdot a \][/tex]
where:
- [tex]\( F \)[/tex] is the net force applied to an object,
- [tex]\( m \)[/tex] is the mass of the object,
- [tex]\( a \)[/tex] is the acceleration of the object.
We are given:
- Net force, [tex]\( F = 15 \, \text{N} \)[/tex]
- Acceleration, [tex]\( a = 5 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)[/tex]
Our goal is to determine the mass of the encyclopedia, [tex]\( m \)[/tex].
1. Start with Newton's second law and solve it for mass [tex]\( m \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ F = m \cdot a \][/tex]
2. To isolate the mass [tex]\( m \)[/tex], rearrange the equation by dividing both sides by [tex]\( a \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ m = \frac{F}{a} \][/tex]
3. Substitute the given values for [tex]\( F \)[/tex] and [tex]\( a \)[/tex] into the equation:
[tex]\[ m = \frac{15 \, \text{N}}{5 \, \text{m/s}^2} \][/tex]
4. Perform the division:
[tex]\[ m = 3 \, \text{kg} \][/tex]
Therefore, the mass of the encyclopedia is [tex]\( 3 \)[/tex] kilograms.
