A body of mass 8kg moving with a speed of 30ms-1 is brought to rest in 2.5s by a constant retarding force. Calculate the magnitude of the force

Answer Details

The formula for force is F = ma, where F is force, m is mass and a is acceleration. The body is initially moving with a speed of 30ms^-1 and is brought to rest, which means the final velocity is 0ms^-1. The acceleration, a, can be calculated using the formula v = u + at, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration and t is the time taken. Rearranging the formula to make a the subject gives a = (v - u)/t. Substituting the values gives a = (0 - 30)/2.5 = -12ms^-2. The negative sign indicates that the acceleration is in the opposite direction to the initial velocity. Substituting the mass and acceleration into the formula F = ma gives F = 8 x (-12) = -96N. The negative sign indicates that the force is in the opposite direction to the initial velocity. Taking the magnitude of the force gives 96N. Therefore, the magnitude of the force is 96N. Note that the negative sign indicates the direction of the force, and is not part of the magnitude of the force.