John pushes a 12kg carton with a force of 60N. If the carton moves with an acceleration of 2m/s^2, what is the friction force action on the carton?

To find the friction force acting on the carton, we first need to calculate the net force acting on the carton.

The net force can be calculated using Newton's second law:

Net force = mass x acceleration

Given:
Mass = 12kg
Acceleration = 2m/s^2

Net force = 12kg x 2m/s^2
Net force = 24N

Now, we can calculate the friction force acting on the carton. The friction force is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force applied by John:

Friction force = -60N

Therefore, the friction force acting on the carton is 60N.

According to Newton's second law of motion, the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration. In this case, the net force is the difference between the applied force and the friction force.

$$ F_{net} = F_a - F_f $$

$$ m - a = F_a - F_f $$

$$ F_f = F_a - m - a $$

Plugging in the given values:

$$ F_f = 60N - 12kg - 2m/s^2 $$

$$ F_f = 60N - 24N $$

$$ F_f = 36N $$

Therefore, the friction force acting on the carton is 36N.