The 1800 kg tractor exerts a force of 17500N backward on the pavement, and the system experiences forces resisting motion that total 2400 N. If the acceleration is 0.210 m/s2, what is the mass of the airplane?
(b) Calculate the force exerted by the tractor on the airplane, assuming 2100 N of the friction is experienced by the airplane.
See previous post: Tue,12-10-13,9:37 AM.
To find the mass of the airplane in the first part of the question, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force (F) is equal to the mass (m) multiplied by the acceleration (a): F = ma.
In this case, the force exerted by the tractor on the pavement is given as 17500 N and the total resisting forces are given as 2400 N. Since the force exerted by the tractor on the pavement is in the opposite direction of the motion, it should be subtracted from the total resisting forces:
Total resisting force = 2400 N - 17500 N = -15100 N
Since the negative sign indicates the opposing direction, we can take the magnitude of the force:
|-15100 N| = 15100 N
Now we can substitute the values into Newton's second law:
15100 N = m * 0.210 m/s^2
To find the mass of the airplane, divide both sides of the equation by 0.210 m/s^2:
m = 15100 N / 0.210 m/s^2
m ≈ 71904 kg
So, the mass of the airplane is approximately 71904 kg.
Moving on to the second part of the question, we need to calculate the force exerted by the tractor on the airplane, assuming 2100 N of the friction is experienced by the airplane.
The total resisting forces acting on the system are given as 2400 N, and we know that 2100 N of that is experienced by the airplane. The remaining force must be the resisting force experienced by the tractor:
Resisting force experienced by the tractor = Total resisting force - Force experienced by the airplane
Resisting force experienced by the tractor = 2400 N - 2100 N = 300 N
Therefore, the force exerted by the tractor on the airplane is 300 N.