A tractor and tow truck have rubber tires on
wet concrete. The tow truck drags the tractor
at constant velocity while its brakes are locked.
If the tow truck exerts a horizontal force of
1.0 x 10^4 N on the tractor, determine the mass
of the tractor. Refer to Table 5.1 on page 148.
To determine the mass of the tractor, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration. In this case, since the velocity of the tractor is constant, the acceleration is zero, and therefore the net force is also zero.
In the given scenario, the horizontal force exerted by the tow truck on the tractor is 1.0 x 10^4 N. Since the net force is zero, there must be an equal and opposite force acting on the tractor, provided by the friction between the tires and the wet concrete.
To find the mass of the tractor, we can use the formula:
Force = mass x acceleration
Since the acceleration is zero, the equation simplifies to:
Force = mass x 0
Therefore, the force exerted by the tow truck is balanced by the force of friction. In this case, we can assume that the frictional force is equal to the force exerted by the tow truck.
Using Table 5.1 on page 148, we can find the coefficient of friction between rubber tires and wet concrete. Once we have this value, we can use it to calculate the mass of the tractor.
Please refer to Table 5.1 on page 148 to find the coefficient of friction between rubber tires and wet concrete. Based on that information, we can proceed with the calculation.