On vacation, your 1200- car pulls a 540- trailer away from a stoplight with an acceleration of 1.50. What is the net force exerted by the car on the trailer?
You need dimensions with your numbers.
F = M a
will solve your problem. You have to assume that there is a negligible friction force where the trailer tires meet the road.
The car's mass does not matter. The trailer's mass does matter.
To find the net force exerted by the car on the trailer, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that 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 540 kg, and the acceleration is given as 1.50 m/s^2. We can plug these values into the equation to find the net force:
Net Force = Mass * Acceleration
Net Force = 540 kg * 1.50 m/s^2
Net Force = 810 N
Therefore, the net force exerted by the car on the trailer is 810 Newtons.