Just after opening a parachute of negligible mass, a parachutist of mass 85.5 kg experiences an instantaneous upward acceleration of 1.12 m/s2. Find the force of the air on the parachute.
To find the force of the air on the parachute, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.
In this case, the force of the air on the parachute can be calculated using the formula:
Force = mass * acceleration
Given:
Mass of the parachutist, m = 85.5 kg
Upward acceleration, a = 1.12 m/s^2
Using the given values, substitute them into the equation to find the force:
Force = 85.5 kg * 1.12 m/s^2
Force = 95.76 N
Therefore, the force of the air on the parachute is 95.76 Newtons.