Understanding Forces in Towing a Trailer
Calculating Forces in Towing a Trailer
Your car and the trailer it is towing are initially at rest. You apply an acceleration of 1.85 m/s^2 to get the vehicles moving. The mass of your car is 1200 kg and the mass of the trailer is 500 kg. We need to determine the forces involved in this scenario.
(a) Calculate the Force Acting on the Car
The force acting on the car can be calculated using the formula: force = mass * acceleration. Substituting the values, we get: force = 1200 kg * 1.85 m/s^2 = 2220 N. The force acting on the car is 2220 N.
(b) Determine the Force Experienced by the Trailer
Since the car and trailer are accelerating together, the trailer experiences a force of 2220 N as well, but in the opposite direction to the car's force.
(c) Calculate the Force Exerted by the Trailer on the Car
According to Newton's third law of motion, the force that the trailer exerts on the car is also 2220 N. This law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, making the forces between the car and trailer equal.
Your car and the trailer it is towing are initially at rest. You apply an acceleration of 1,85 m/s^2 to get the vehicles moving. The mass of your car is 1200 kg and the mass of the trailer is 500 kg. Determine the force in N acting on the car, how much force (N) does the trailer experience, and the force on the trailer exerts on the car. (a) The force acting on the car is equal to the mass of the car times the acceleration, or 1200 kg * 1.85 m/s^2 = 2220 N. How to explain this(b) The trailer also experiences a force of 2220 N, but in the opposite direction. This is because the car and trailer are accelerating together, so the force on the trailer is equal and opposite to the force on the car.
(c) The force that the trailer exerts on the car is also equal to 2220 N. This is because of Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, the action is the force of the car pulling on the trailer, and the reaction is the force of the trailer pulling on the car.