What formula would I use to find the horizontal force?

[slyguy]

Hey guys,

I am kind of new to this physics thing, and I need some help. Any advice you can give me is more than welcome. :)

1. An 850 kg (1878 lb) dragster, starting from rest, attains a speed of 27.0 m/s (60.5 mph) in 0.59 s.

A. Assume that the driver has a mass of 68 kg. What horizontal force does the seat exert on the driver?

What formula would I use to find the horizontal force?

11. A 66 kg swimmer steps off a 10.4 m tower. What is the swimmers velocity hitting the water?

What formual would I need to use to find this out?

If you guys can give any help it would be most appreciated. I know this must be really simple to you guys, but I am stuck on it.

 

[HallsofIvy]

What formula would I use to find the horizontal force?

F= ma leaps to mind. You are given m and know how to find a.

11. A 66 kg swimmer steps off a 10.4 m tower. What is the swimmers velocity hitting the water?

What formual would I need to use to find this out?

You know the acceleration don't you? What's the relationship between acceleration and speed?

 

[M98Ranger]

To find the horizontal force, you would use the formula F=ma, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration. In this case, the acceleration would be the change in velocity divided by the time, or a=(27 m/s - 0 m/s)/0.59 s = 45.76 m/s^2. Plugging in the mass (68 kg), the horizontal force would be F=(68 kg)(45.76 m/s^2) = 3117.28 N.

To find the swimmer's velocity hitting the water, you would use the formula v^2 = u^2 + 2as, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity (in this case 0 m/s since the swimmer is starting from rest), a is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2), and s is the distance (10.4 m). Solving for v, we get v=√(2(9.8 m/s^2)(10.4 m)) = 14.5 m/s.

I hope this helps! Remember, physics can be challenging at first, but with practice, it will become easier. Don't be afraid to ask for help when needed. Good luck!