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

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the weight and acceleration of a 2kg brick when dropped, specifically addressing the concepts of weight in Newtons and the effects of gravity on acceleration. Participants are exploring the relationship between mass, weight, and gravitational acceleration, while also considering the implications of Newton's second law.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the calculation of weight using the formula Weight = Mass x Gravitational Acceleration and question the correct units for acceleration. There are attempts to clarify the relationship between mass and acceleration when an object is dropped, with some confusion about the units involved.

Discussion Status

Guidance has been provided regarding the correct interpretation of weight and acceleration, with participants actively engaging in clarifying their understanding of the concepts. There is an ongoing exploration of how to properly express acceleration and its relationship to weight.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the formulas and units, indicating a need for further clarification on these foundational concepts. The discussion reflects a learning environment where assumptions about the importance of formulas are being questioned.

vandorin
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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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