A 1.7 kg otter starts from rest at the top of a muddy incline 85.3 cm long and slides down to the bottom in 0.40 s.
What net external force acts on the otter along the incline?
14.523
To find the net external force acting on the otter along the incline, 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, the acceleration can be calculated using the kinematic equation:
s = ut + (1/2)at^2
Where:
s = displacement
u = initial velocity
a = acceleration
t = time
Since the otter starts from rest, its initial velocity (u) is 0. The displacement (s) is given as 85.3 cm = 0.853 m, and the time (t) is given as 0.40 s. Rearranging the equation, we have:
s = (1/2)at^2
Rearranging again, we get:
a = (2s) / t^2
Substituting the given values, we can calculate the acceleration (a):
a = (2 * 0.853 m) / (0.40 s)^2
a ≈ 10.64 m/s^2
Now, we can use Newton's second law to find the net external force:
Fnet = ma
Substituting the mass (m) given as 1.7 kg and the acceleration (a) calculated above:
Fnet = (1.7 kg) * (10.64 m/s^2)
Fnet ≈ 18.1 N
Therefore, the net external force acting on the otter along the incline is approximately 18.1 Newtons.