In the amusement park ride known as Magic Mountain Superman, powerful magnets accelerate a car and its riders from rest to 55 m/s (around 120 mi/h) in a time of 6.1 s. The mass of the car and riders is 5000 kg. Find the average net force exerted on the car and riders by the magnets.
To find the average net force exerted on the car and riders by the magnets, we can use Newton's second law of motion:
Force = mass x acceleration
In this case, the mass of the car and riders is given as 5000 kg, and the acceleration can be calculated using the formula:
acceleration = (final velocity - initial velocity) / time
Given that the initial velocity (rest) is 0 m/s, the final velocity is 55 m/s, and the time taken is 6.1 s, we can substitute these values into the formula to find the acceleration.
acceleration = (55 m/s - 0 m/s) / 6.1 s
Simplifying, we get:
acceleration = 9.016 m/s^2
Now, we can substitute the mass and acceleration values into Newton's second law to find the net force:
Force = 5000 kg x 9.016 m/s^2
Calculating this, we find:
Force = 45,080 N
Therefore, the average net force exerted on the car and riders by the magnets is 45,080 Newtons.