Acceleration, a kid, a sled and frictionless surface

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a child on a sled being pulled along a frictionless surface, with specific weights and forces given. The goal is to determine the acceleration of the child and sled system.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to use trigonometric functions and kinematic equations but expresses difficulty in progressing. Questions are raised about the meaning of the weight and its direction, as well as the implications of the frictionless surface.

Discussion Status

Participants are exploring various aspects of the problem, including the relationship between force and acceleration, and the significance of the weight in the context of the problem. Some guidance has been offered regarding the need to clarify units and show work leading to numerical answers.

Contextual Notes

There is a repetition of posts, indicating a potential confusion or need for clarification. The discussion includes questions about fundamental concepts, such as the representation of weight and its effects in the scenario presented.

Trigulus
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A child sitting on a sled is pulled by a rope along a frictionless surface. The child and the sled weigh 214 N and the horizontal force on the sled is 53 N. What is the acceleration of child and sled?






I am new and in the process of printing and posting the PDF flyer at my local community college. Kudos to the Admin here for putting together.

okay... I am trying to solve simply by going 214cos(53), 214sin(53) also trying to use the basic 4 kinematic equations but have hit a wall. A friend told me about this forum so here I am.

Thanks in advance !
 
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Trigulus said:
A child sitting on a sled is pulled by a rope along a frictionless surface. The child and the sled weigh 214 N and the horizontal force on the sled is 53 N. What is the acceleration of child and sled?






I am new and in the process of printing and posting the PDF flyer at my local community college. Kudos to the Admin here for putting together.

okay... I am trying to solve simply by going 214cos(53), 214sin(53) also trying to use the basic 4 kinematic equations but have hit a wall. A friend told me about this forum so here I am.

Thanks in advance !

What does the 214N actually represent? What direction does it act?
 
128.79 ?
 
Trigulus said:
128.79 ?

Please show all of your work that lead you to that number. Please also include units in your equations.
 
Things to consider:

1) How are force and acceleration related?
2) What does the "weight" represent?
3) What are the implications of the frictionless surface?
 
Hi Trigulus, http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5725/red5e5etimes5e5e45e5e25.gif

Trigulus said:
128.79 ?
What are the units associated with that number?
 
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