Problems involving Newton's law

In summary: Once you know the acceleration, you can use Newton's 2nd law to find the force of the break that is causing this acceleration.In summary, the problem involves Heather pushing a wagon with her brother inside and then her brother stopping the wagon with the breaks. For the first question, the acceleration is found using Newton's second law (A = F/m). After 3 seconds, the wagon would be going at 4.5 m/s. In the second question, the velocity equation v(t) = Vo - at is used to find the acceleration and then Newton's second law is used to find the force of the break.
  • #1
rottentreats64
19
0
these were the questions:

1.Heather can apply a force of 72 N to a wagon in which sits her little brother, Bryce. The combined mass of Bryce and the wagon is 48 kg. If starting from rest, how much speed will the wagon pick up after Heather has pushed the wagon for 3s?

2.When the wagon in the previous problem reaches a speed of 8 m/s, Heather let's go and Bryce puts on the brakes. If the wagon comes to rest 6s later, how much force did the breaks apply?

for 1 i thought you had to first convert bryce's mass into Newtons, so i did 48kg/10 and i got 4.8 N is the weight of the wagon and Bryce. But after that i got lost. Do i have to find a resultant force? I really have no clue what to do in these problems besides what i just told u
 
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  • #2
For the first question all you need to consider is Newton's second law.
 
  • #3
Check the units of (48 kg) / (10 m/s^2). Compare this units to Newtons.

Also, why are you converting mass to weight? :smile:
 
  • #4
You can use the impulse law, too.
 
  • #5
i put this as an answer:

Since we’re trying to find the acceleration I used the formula A= f/m A=72/48. Therefore the acceleration is 1.5 m/s2. So after three seconds (1.5*3) they would have been going at 4.5 m/s2.
 
  • #6
is that right?..and also the second question i need help with
 
  • #7
rottentreats64 said:
is that right?..and also the second question i need help with

Yes, that is perfectly right. Show us some work on the second question, I'm sure you can at least try to solve it.
 
  • #8
rottentreats64 said:
i put this as an answer:

Since we’re trying to find the acceleration I used the formula A= f/m A=72/48. Therefore the acceleration is 1.5 m/s2. So after three seconds (1.5*3) they would have been going at 4.5 m/s2.
Just a slight correction. Their velocity would be in m/s not m/s2
 
  • #9
thanks but here's the question with the second problem, how do i know the friction? is there a formula i could use for it? and i don't undersatnd how would i could find the force that the breaks applied...could an1 explain this concept to me please?
 
  • #10
rottentreats64 said:
thanks but here's the question with the second problem, how do i know the friction? is there a formula i could use for it? and i don't undersatnd how would i could find the force that the breaks applied...could an1 explain this concept to me please?

There is no friction force in the problem, there's only the force of the break. The second part of the problem is just kinematics, and an application of Newton's 2nd law in the end. So, what equations cross your mind?
 
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  • #11
oh lol, i basically had no clue what to do for the second problem so i was guessing friction was involved
 
  • #12
rottentreats64 said:
oh lol, i basically had no clue what to do for the second problem so i was guessing friction was involved

Simply use the equation for velocity in the case of uniform acceleration (i.e. deceleration in this case): v(t) = Vo - at. You know what the velocity must equal at t = 6 seconds, and you know the initial velocity Vo, so you can calculate the acceleration easily.
 
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1. What is Newton's law and why is it important?

Newton's law, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. It is important because it explains the behavior of objects and enables us to make predictions about their motion.

2. How is Newton's law used to solve problems?

To solve problems involving Newton's law, we typically use the three laws of motion and the concepts of force, mass, and acceleration. We set up equations and use algebraic methods to solve for the unknown variables.

3. Can Newton's law be applied to all types of objects?

Yes, Newton's law can be applied to all types of objects, whether they are at rest or in motion. However, it may not be accurate for objects moving at speeds close to the speed of light or for objects with extremely small mass.

4. What are some common misconceptions about Newton's law?

One common misconception is that objects need a constant force to stay in motion. In reality, an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. Another misconception is that an object's motion will always be in the same direction as the applied force, when in fact an object's motion may change direction depending on the angle of the force.

5. How does Newton's law relate to other scientific principles?

Newton's law is closely related to other scientific principles such as the conservation of momentum and the law of universal gravitation. It also plays a role in many other fields of science, including engineering, astronomy, and biomechanics.

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