On vacation, your 1300 kg car pulls a 540 kg trailer away from a stop light with an acceleration of 1.80 m/s2.

What is the net force acting on the car?

I have determined:
1) the force acting on the car by the trailer is 972 N.
2) The force acting on the trailer by the car is 972 N.
3) And the force required to produce such an acceleration is 3312 N.

The block in lies on a horizontal frictionless surface and is attached to the free end of the spring, with a spring constant of 56 N/m. Initially, the spring is at its relaxed length and the block is stationary at x = 0 m. Then an applied force with a constant magnitude of 3.0 N pulls the block in the positive direction of the x axis, stretching the spring until the block stops. What is the position of the block at the stopping point?

To find the net force acting on the car, we need to consider the forces acting on the car and the trailer separately.

First, let's calculate the force acting on the car by the trailer. From your calculations, you have determined that the force acting on the car by the trailer is 972 N.

Now, let's calculate the force acting on the trailer by the car. Since the car and the trailer are connected, the force acting on the trailer by the car is also 972 N. This is because according to Newton's third law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

So, the combined force acting on the car and the trailer due to their connection is 972 N + 972 N = 1944 N.

Finally, let's calculate the force required to produce the given acceleration of 1.80 m/s^2. To do this, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force (F) is equal to mass (m) multiplied by acceleration (a). Plugging in the values for the total mass of the car and the trailer (1300 kg + 540 kg = 1840 kg) and the acceleration (1.80 m/s^2), we get:

Force = mass × acceleration
Force = 1840 kg × 1.80 m/s^2
Force = 3312 N

Therefore, the force required to produce the given acceleration is 3312 N.

To find the net force acting on the car, we add up the forces acting on the car and the trailer due to their connection and the force required to produce the acceleration.

Net force = Force acting on the car by the trailer + Force acting on the trailer by the car + Force required to produce the acceleration
Net force = 972 N + 972 N + 3312 N
Net force = 5256 N

So, the net force acting on the car is 5256 N.