How Much Does a 2kg Brick Weigh and What Is Its Acceleration When Dropped?

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A 2kg brick weighs 20 Newtons, calculated using the formula Weight = Mass x Gravitational Acceleration. When dropped, its acceleration due to gravity is 10 m/s², not measured in Newtons. The discussion also touches on understanding impact speed in a collision scenario, clarifying that it is the difference in velocities of the two cars involved. The importance of applying Newton's laws and the concept of relativity in classical mechanics is highlighted. Overall, the thread emphasizes the correct application of physics principles in solving these problems.
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Homework Statement



1.) A brick has a mass of 2kg, how much (In Newtons) does it weigh?
If you drop it, what is its acceleration? (ignoring air resistance)?

Homework Equations


Im not sure


The Attempt at a Solution


I found that 1kg = 10N, so 2kg =20 Newtons, and I think that if you dropped it, since gravity is 10N (rounded up, which is what our teacher told us to do) then its acceleration would be 10N, but I am not sure that's right.
 
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Welcome to PF!

Hi vandorin! Welcome to PF! :smile:

Hint: Do you know Newton's second law?

If not, do you know how mass affects the way things drop? :smile:
 
tiny-tim said:
Hi vandorin! Welcome to PF! :smile:

Hint: Do you know Newton's second law?

If not, do you know how mass affects the way things drop? :smile:

My teacher thinks it's not that important to teach the formula's, but I do remember that F=ma , but i don't see how that applies here? Since I know that dropping the brick it would accelerate 10m/s every second.
 
Hi Vandorin!

You're basically there:

Weight = Mass x Gravitational Acceleration

so your weight in N is approximately correct (your teacher told you to round, so you should be okay)

However, re-think your answer for the acceleration

[Hint: Acceleration isn't measured in Newton]

EDIT: By the time I finished typing this, tiny-tim was already here... :smile:
I obviously need to speed up a bit :biggrin:
 
Last edited:
phyzmatix said:
Hi Vandorin!

You're basically there:

Weight = Mass x Gravitational Acceleration

so your weight in N is approximately correct (your teacher told you to round, so you should be okay)

However, re-think your answer for the acceleration

[Hint: Acceleration isn't measured in Newton]

sorry for putting it in N, I am still getting used to putting the right things beside the numbers. Would it be 10m/s?
 
vandorin said:
Would it be 10m/s?

Ah … you knew the answer, you just wrote it wrong!

Acceleration has dimensions of speed/time, so it's m/s². :smile:
 
I've actually got one more question if you guys don't mind helping me out again :D

1.) What is the impact speed when a car moving 100km/h Bumps into the rear of another car traveling in the same direction at 98km/h

Now here I would just think that you would take 100 + 98 and then divide them by 2, giving you an answer of 99km/h?
 
vandorin said:
Now here I would just think that you would take 100 + 98 and then divide them by 2, giving you an answer of 99km/h?

No … the impact speed is a measure of how much impact you'd feel if you were in one of the cars. So it must be … ? :smile:
 
tiny-tim said:
No … the impact speed is a measure of how much impact you'd feel if you were in one of the cars. So it must be … ? :smile:

2? since your already going 98kg/h, the other car is going 100kg/h so when it bumps you, the impact speed is two more than your already going?
 
  • #10
Hi vandorin! :smile:

That's right … the impact velocity is simply the difference in velocities.

The importance of this is that relativity applies just as much in classical mechanics as in Einsteinian mechanics … an observer in either car is entitled to regard himself as at rest, and all the ordinary Newtonian equations will still work! :smile:
 
  • #11
Awesome! Thanks for the help!
 
  • #12
You're very welcome! :smile:

( … if aok now, click on "Thread Tools" to mark the thread [SOLVED] … :smile: )
 
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