A 1.6 kg otter starts from rest at the top of a
muddy incline 95.9 cm long and slides down
to the bottom in 0.50 s.
What net external force acts on the otter
along the incline?
Answer in units of N
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 force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration.
First, let's find the acceleration of the otter. We can use the kinematic equation:
d = vi * t + (1/2) * a * t^2
Where:
d = distance (95.9 cm = 0.959 m)
vi = initial velocity (0 m/s, as the otter starts from rest)
t = time (0.50 s)
a = acceleration (unknown)
Rearranging the equation, we get:
a = (2 * (d - vi * t)) / t^2
Substituting the given values, we get:
a = (2 * (0.959 m - 0 m/s * 0.50 s)) / (0.50 s)^2
a = (2 * 0.959 m) / 0.25 s^2
a = 7.672 m/s^2
Now, we can calculate the net external force by multiplying the mass of the otter by its acceleration:
Fnet = m * a
Substituting the given mass (1.6 kg) and acceleration (7.672 m/s^2), we get:
Fnet = 1.6 kg * 7.672 m/s^2
Fnet = 12.2752 N
Therefore, the net external force acting on the otter along the incline is approximately 12.28 N.