A 1.5 kg otter starts from rest at the top of a muddy incline 87.1 cm long and slides down to the bottom in 0.60 s.
What net external force acts on the otter along the incline?
12
To find the net external force acting on the otter along the incline, we can use Newton's second law of motion. The formula is as follows:
F_net = m * a
Where:
F_net is the net external force,
m is the mass of the otter, and
a is the acceleration.
First, let's find the acceleration of the otter using kinematic equations. We know that the otter starts from rest, so its initial velocity (u) is 0 m/s, and the distance traveled (s) is 87.1 cm, which is equal to 0.871 m. The time taken (t) is 0.60 s.
The kinematic equation we can use is:
s = ut + (1/2) * a * t^2
Plugging in the given values:
0.871 = 0 * 0.60 + (1/2) * a * (0.60)^2
0.871 = (1/2) * a * 0.36
Now, solving for a:
a = 0.871 / (0.18)
a ≈ 4.84 m/s^2
Now we can calculate the net external force:
F_net = m * a
Given that the mass of the otter is 1.5 kg:
F_net = 1.5 * 4.84
F_net ≈ 7.26 N
Therefore, the net external force acting on the otter along the incline is approximately 7.26 Newtons.