Question

a van of mass m is stuck on slippery ice. in an attempt to move the van, henry pushes rightward with a force of magnitude fh, and frank pulls rightward with a force of magnitude ff. which of the following is a correct expression for the magnitude of the vans acceleration, a? friction between the van and the ice is negligible.

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Newton's second law

Newton's second law states that \(F_{net}=ma\). The net force \(F_{net}\) acting on the van is the sum of the forces applied by Henry (\(F_H\)) and Frank (\(F_F\)) since the friction is negligible. So, \(F_{net}=F_H + F_F\).

Step2: Solve for acceleration

From \(F_{net}=ma\), we can express the acceleration \(a\) as \(a=\frac{F_{net}}{m}\). Substituting \(F_{net}=F_H + F_F\) into the formula, we get \(a=\frac{F_H + F_F}{m}\).

Answer:

\(a=\frac{F_H + F_F}{m}\)