Calculate Contact Force: Car and Truck Collision on Icy Road

[ttk3]

Homework Statement

A car of mass 8.50E+2 kg and a truck of mass 3.55E+3 kg run into one another due to ice on the road. 60.0 ms after the collision, the car is pushing on the truck with a force whose magnitude is 1.56671E+5 N. Calculate the size of the force on the car due to the truck at that time.

Homework Equations

accel. of car = accel. of truck
a = f / sum of masses
Contact force = mass of truck * (f/sum of masses)

The Attempt at a Solution

contact force = 3550 * (15667 / [850 + 3550])

= 12640 N

 

[Doc Al]

Consider Newton's 3rd law.

 

[ttk3]

That was too easy. Haha, I feel stupid.