How Do You Calculate Acceleration with Friction Forces Involved?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the acceleration of a box subjected to friction forces. Given a mass of 20 kg and a pushing force of 200 N to the right, with a friction force of 100 N acting to the left, the net force can be calculated as 200 N - 100 N = 100 N. Using Newton's second law, the acceleration is determined by the formula: acceleration = net force / mass, resulting in an acceleration of 5 m/s².

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  • Understanding of Newton's second law of motion
  • Basic knowledge of force and friction concepts
  • Ability to perform vector addition and subtraction
  • Familiarity with units of measurement (N, kg, m/s²)
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  • Study the principles of Newton's laws of motion
  • Learn about static and kinetic friction coefficients
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Students in physics, educators teaching mechanics, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of motion involving friction forces.

StaticShock
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I am not getting forces at all. I 'm not sure of what to do. Here's the question:

A box is resting on a flat surface. The box has a mass of 20KG and a force of 200N is pushing the box to the right. The force of friction acting on the box is 100 N to the left. What is the acceleration of the box?

I know that the sum of the forces=Mass X Acceleration. But I am not sure what numbers to put in.
 
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Consider the forces that act along the line of motion (left-right forces that is , the box is not moving up or down is it?). Call forces to the right "positive. Call forces to the left "negative." What is the sum of all the left-right forces? (Hint: it involves a little mathematical trick called "subtraction.")
 

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