On vacation, your 1350 kg car pulls a 540 kg trailer away from a stop light with an acceleration of 2.20 m/s2.
(a) What is the net force exerted by the car on the trailer?
(b) What force does the trailer exert on the car?
(c) What is the net force acting on the car?
To answer these questions, we need to use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.
(a) To find the net force exerted by the car on the trailer, we can use the equation:
Net Force = Mass of the trailer * Acceleration
Substituting the given values:
Mass of the trailer = 540 kg
Acceleration = 2.20 m/s^2
Net Force = 540 kg * 2.20 m/s^2
(b) To find the force exerted by the trailer on the car, we need to consider that the two objects are attached and they move together. Therefore, the force exerted by the trailer on the car is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the net force exerted by the car on the trailer. So, the force exerted by the trailer on the car is also equal to Net Force = 540 kg * 2.20 m/s^2.
(c) To find the net force acting on the car, we need to consider both the force exerted by the car on the trailer and the force exerted by the trailer on the car. Since these forces are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, they cancel each other out. Therefore, the net force on the car is zero.
To summarize:
(a) The net force exerted by the car on the trailer is 540 kg * 2.20 m/s^2.
(b) The force exerted by the trailer on the car is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the net force exerted by the car on the trailer, so it is also 540 kg * 2.20 m/s^2.
(c) The net force acting on the car is zero.