Tug of War Acceleration: 60kg and 40kg Girls on Icy Surface

In summary, simple acceleration is a measure of how quickly an object's velocity changes over time and is calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time. It is related to Newton's Second Law of Motion, which states that the force applied to an object is directly proportional to its mass and its acceleration. Positive acceleration occurs when an object's velocity is increasing, while negative acceleration occurs when an object's velocity is decreasing. Acceleration can be calculated from a velocity-time graph by finding the slope of the line or by finding the area under the curve. Real-world examples of simple acceleration include driving a car, riding a bike, throwing a ball, and jumping off a diving board, and it is also an important concept in fields such as
  • #1
emma123
29
0
HI! i need help on this problem...

A 60kg and a 40kg girl uses an elastic rope while engaged in a tug a war on the icy frictionless surface. If the acceleration of the girl towards the boy is 3.0m/s/s, determine the magnitude of acceleration of the boy to the girl.

Please help if you can THANKS!:smile:
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
conservation of momentum...
 
  • #3


I would approach this problem by first considering the forces acting on the girls and using Newton's Second Law of Motion, F=ma, to determine the acceleration of the girls. Since the girls are on an icy and frictionless surface, the only force acting on them is the tension in the elastic rope. Therefore, the acceleration of the girls towards each other would be equal to the tension divided by the total mass (60kg + 40kg) of the girls.

Next, I would use Newton's Third Law of Motion, that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, to determine the acceleration of the boy towards the girls. Since the boy is pulling on the same elastic rope, the tension in the rope would be the same, and the acceleration of the boy towards the girls would also be equal to the tension divided by the total mass of the girls.

Therefore, the magnitude of acceleration of the boy towards the girls would be the same as the magnitude of acceleration of the girls towards each other, which is 3.0m/s/s. This means that the boy would also be accelerating at 3.0m/s/s towards the girls.

I hope this helps and feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.
 

What is simple acceleration?

Simple acceleration is a measure of how quickly an object's velocity changes over time. It is calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time, and is typically expressed in units of meters per second squared (m/s^2).

How is simple acceleration related to Newton's Second Law of Motion?

Newton's Second Law of Motion states that the force applied to an object is directly proportional to its mass and its acceleration. This means that a greater force will result in a greater acceleration, while a smaller force will result in a smaller acceleration. In other words, acceleration is a measure of the net force acting on an object.

What is the difference between positive and negative acceleration?

Positive acceleration occurs when an object's velocity is increasing over time, while negative acceleration (also known as deceleration or retardation) occurs when an object's velocity is decreasing over time. Positive acceleration is often associated with speeding up, while negative acceleration is associated with slowing down or stopping.

How do you calculate acceleration from a velocity-time graph?

To calculate acceleration from a velocity-time graph, you can use the slope of the line. The slope represents the change in velocity divided by the change in time, which is the definition of acceleration. You can also calculate acceleration by finding the area under the curve on a velocity-time graph and dividing it by the time interval.

What are some real-world examples of simple acceleration?

Some examples of simple acceleration in everyday life include driving a car, riding a bike, throwing a ball, and jumping off a diving board. In all of these situations, an object's velocity is changing over time due to the application of a force. Additionally, simple acceleration is also a key concept in fields such as engineering, physics, and sports science.

Similar threads

Distance from an initial position that two objects will meet
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
Tug-of-War Forces: Solving the Rope Problem
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
Solving Friction Problems: Boy vs Girl Tug-of-War
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
Why is the girl and the sled accelerating in opposite directions?
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
Lift force and acceleration
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
4K
How Does Newton's Second Law Apply to Tug of War on Ice?
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
Newton's Law Homework Question
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
9
Views
2K
How Do You Calculate the Forces in a Tug of War?
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
What is the Magnitude of Acceleration in a Frictionless Equation?
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
Tug-of-War on an Icy Surface: Peter vs. John & Sarah
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
14
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top