What is the acceleration (in meters/second^2) of a freely falling 73.0 kg sky-diver, if air resistance exerts a force of 273 N?
To find the acceleration of a freely falling sky-diver with air resistance, we need to apply Newton's second law of motion. According to this law, the net force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.
In this case, the force due to gravity is acting downwards, while the force due to air resistance is acting upwards. Therefore, the net force can be calculated by subtracting the force due to air resistance from the force due to gravity.
The force of gravity acting on an object is given by the equation:
Force of gravity = mass of the object × acceleration due to gravity
The acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 meters/second^2.
Therefore, the force due to gravity acting on the sky-diver is:
Force due to gravity = 73.0 kg × 9.8 meters/second^2
Next, we subtract the force due to air resistance from the force due to gravity:
Net force = Force due to gravity - Force due to air resistance
Net force = (73.0 kg × 9.8 meters/second^2) - 273 N
Finally, we can use Newton's second law to find the acceleration:
Net force = mass of the object × acceleration
(73.0 kg × 9.8 meters/second^2) - 273 N = 73.0 kg × acceleration
Solving this equation for acceleration, we can find the answer to the question.