When a parachute opens, the air exerts a large drag force on it. This upward force is initially greater than the weight of the sky diver and, thus, slows him down. Suppose the weight of the sky diver is 852 N and the drag force has a magnitude of 1012 N. The mass of the sky diver is 86.9 kg. Take upward to be the positive direction. What is his acceleration, including sign?
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To find the acceleration of the skydiver, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration: F_net = m * a.
In this case, we have the weight of the skydiver acting downwards (negative) and the drag force acting upwards (positive). The net force is the sum of these two forces.
F_net = drag force - weight
Substituting the given values:
F_net = 1012 N - 852 N
F_net = 160 N (upward)
Now, we can use Newton's second law to find the acceleration:
F_net = m * a
160 N = 86.9 kg * a
Solving for a:
a = 160 N / 86.9 kg
a ≈ 1.842 m/s^2
The acceleration of the skydiver is 1.842 m/s^2, directed upward.