Question

Suppose you are holding a basketball while standing still on a skateboard. You and the skateboard have a mass of 50kg. You throw the basketball with a force of 10N. What is your acceleration before and after you throw the ball?

Answer 1

Answer:

Acceleration after throwing is 0.2m/s²

Acceleration before throwing is 0 m/s² since the force is zero

Explanation:

By Newtons third law we have force applied by ball on person = 10 N

Mass of person plus skateboard = 50 kg

We also know the equation

     Force, F = mass x acceleration

                 F = ma

    Here F = 10 N

             m = 50 kg

Substituting,

              10 = 50 x a

                 $a=\frac{10}{50}=\frac{1}{5}=0.2m/s^2$

Acceleration after throwing is 0.2m/s²

Acceleration before throwing is 0 m/s² since the force is zero

Answer 2

Your acceleration before you throw the ball is zero. After the throw, you use the equation 

F = m * a 

To solve for acceleration 

a = F/m 

a = (10 N) / (50 kg) 

a = 0.2 m/s^2