A car tows a trailer which has a mass of 182kg. The car starts from rest on a horizontal road with an acceleration of 2.40m/s^2. As soon as the trailer starts to move a friction force of 64.0N acts on the trailer. Calculate the force which the car exerts on the trailer.
horizontal force = Tow force - friction force = m a
Tow force - 64 = 182 * 2.40
2. Can you find a vector quantity that has a magnitude of zero but components that are different from zero? Explain. Can the magnitude of a vector be less than the magnitude of any of its components? Explain.
To calculate the force exerted by the car on the trailer, we need to consider the net force acting on the trailer.
The net force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. In this case, the mass of the trailer is given as 182 kg, and the acceleration of the trailer is also given as 2.40 m/s^2, as the car starts from rest.
So, the net force acting on the trailer (F_net_trailer) can be calculated using the formula:
F_net_trailer = mass_trailer * acceleration
F_net_trailer = 182 kg * 2.40 m/s^2
F_net_trailer = 436.80 N
However, there is also a friction force acting on the trailer, which is opposite to the direction of motion. The problem states that the friction force on the trailer is 64.0 N.
The friction force (F_friction) acts to oppose the motion of the trailer, so we need to subtract it from the net force to get the force exerted by the car on the trailer.
Force exerted by the car on the trailer (F_exerted) = F_net_trailer - F_friction
F_exerted = 436.80 N - 64.0 N
F_exerted = 372.8 N
Therefore, the force exerted by the car on the trailer is 372.8 N.