Originally Posted By: paul

q: what is the amount of force that you would need to apply to a 100kg mass in order to accelerate it at a acceleration rate of .8 m/s/s for a distance of 1000 meters over a time period of 50 seconds.

answer: 4000N
80N x 50 seconds = 4000N

Again, no. You ignored the seconds. It should be 4000Ns which is an impulse, not a force. In this case impulse may be the more useful quantity because it captures the time that it took.

Correct answer:
F=ma
F=100kg * 0.8m/s^2
F=80N

You used

F=mat

which is not correct. If you doubt me, try to find a reference for it. Maybe search for that formula on Google.