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

1 answer

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.