A stuntman is being pulled along a rough road at a constant velocity by a cable attached to a moving truck. The cable is parallel to the ground. The mass of the stuntman is 109 kg, and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the road and him is 0.621. Find the tension in the cable.
Frictional force = μ mg
To find the tension in the cable, we need to consider the forces acting on the stuntman:
1. The force of gravity, which can be calculated using the formula:
F_gravity = m * g
where m is the mass of the stuntman and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s^2).
F_gravity = 109 kg * 9.8 m/s^2
= 1068.2 N
2. The force of friction, which is opposing the motion of the stuntman. The formula to calculate the force of friction is:
F_friction = coefficient of friction * F_normal
where the coefficient of friction is given as 0.621 and F_normal is the normal force acting on the stuntman.
The normal force (F_normal) is equal to the force of gravity (F_gravity) acting vertically upward.
F_normal = F_gravity = 1068.2 N
F_friction = 0.621 * 1068.2 N
= 663.0 N
3. The tension in the cable, which is pulling the stuntman forward. Since the stuntman is being pulled at a constant velocity, the sum of the forces acting on him is zero:
Tension - F_friction = 0
Therefore,
Tension = F_friction
Tension = 663.0 N
The tension in the cable is 663.0 N.