Question

A roller coaster begins at the top of a hill. If it accelerates at the rate of 2 m/s2
and has a mass of 2000 kg, what net force is acting on it? (F=ma)


A 0.001 N
B 0.5 N
C 1000 N
D 4000 N

Answer 1

To find the net force acting on the roller coaster, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that \( F = ma \), where:
- \( F \) is the net force,
- \( m \) is the mass,
- \( a \) is the acceleration.

Given:
- Mass \( m = 2000 \) kg,
- Acceleration \( a = 2 \) m/s².

Now, we can calculate the net force:

\[
F = ma = 2000 \, \text{kg} \times 2 \, \text{m/s}² = 4000 \, \text{N}
\]

So, the net force acting on the roller coaster is \( 4000 \, \text{N} \).

The answer is **D: 4000 N**.