A 45kg skier is sliding down a 37 degree ski slope starting from rest. She crossed the 25m in 5.0s. Ignoring air resistance, Find all the forces on the skier.
To find all the forces acting on the skier, we need to analyze the situation using Newton's second law of motion. This law states that the net force (ΣF) acting on an object is equal to its mass (m) multiplied by its acceleration (a), or in equation form: ΣF = ma.
Let's breakdown the situation and consider the forces acting on the skier:
1. Weight (W): The force of gravity pulling the skier downwards. The weight can be calculated using the equation W = mg, where m is the mass of the skier and g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²). Thus, W = 45 kg * 9.8 m/s².
2. Normal force (N): The force exerted by the surface of the slope perpendicular to it. Since the skier is on a slope, a component of the normal force is responsible for counterbalancing a portion of the skier's weight in the downhill direction. This can be calculated as N = W * cos(θ), where θ is the angle of the slope (37 degrees).
3. Frictional force (f): The force that opposes the motion of the skier, causing acceleration or deceleration. In this case, we can assume that the only horizontal force acting on the skier is the force of friction. The force of friction can be calculated as f = μ * N, where μ is the coefficient of friction between the skier and the slope. However, in this problem, we are not given the coefficient of friction.
4. Applied Force (Fapp): The force applied by the skier herself or any external force acting on her. From the given information, we know that the skier started from rest, so we can assume no applied force is acting on her.
Since we are not given the coefficient of friction or any other external forces, we can assume the only forces acting on the skier are her weight (W) and the normal force (N).