An 18-wheeler with a mass of 35,000 kg is moving at a speed of 65 mph or about 30 m/s. If this vehicle collides with a barrier and the collision lasts one tenth of a second (0.1 s), what is the force experienced by this vehicle? written like a 9th grader
When an 18-wheeler with a mass of 35,000 kg crashes into a barrier, the force experienced by the vehicle can be determined by using the formula:
Force = Mass x Acceleration
First, let's convert the speed from miles per hour to meters per second. We know that 1 mile is approximately 1609 meters, so:
Speed = 65 mph ≈ 30 m/s
Next, we can calculate the acceleration by dividing the change in speed by the time taken for the collision:
Acceleration = (Change in Speed) / (Time) = (30 m/s - 0 m/s) / 0.1 s = 300 m/s²
Now, we can substitute the mass and acceleration into the force formula:
Force = 35,000 kg x 300 m/s²
Calculating this, we get:
Force ≈ 10,500,000 N
Therefore, the force experienced by the 18-wheeler during the collision is approximately 10,500,000 Newtons.