A 2 kg otter starts from rest at the top of a muddy incline 85 cm long ans slides down to the bottom in 0.5 s. What net external force acts on the otter along the incline?
I know which equation I need to use. But how can I use the cm and s to get the acceleration?
To find the acceleration of the otter, you can use the equation of motion that relates distance, time, and acceleration.
The equation is:
distance = initial velocity * time + (1/2) * acceleration * time^2
In this case, the otter starts from rest, so its initial velocity is 0. The distance traveled is 85 cm, which can be converted to meters by dividing by 100 (since 1 meter = 100 centimeters). Finally, the time taken is 0.5 seconds.
Substituting the given values into the equation, we have:
0.85 meters = 0 * 0.5 seconds + (1/2) * acceleration * (0.5 seconds)^2
Simplifying, we get:
0.85 meters = (1/2) * acceleration * 0.25 seconds^2
To isolate the acceleration, we can rearrange the equation:
acceleration = (2 * 0.85 meters) / (0.25 seconds^2)
Now, you can calculate the acceleration by plugging in the values:
acceleration = (2 * 0.85) / 0.25
acceleration ≈ 6.8 m/s^2
With the acceleration calculated, you can proceed to find the net external force acting on the otter along the incline.