Calculating Forces and Accelerations

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In summary, net force is calculated by adding together all the individual forces acting on an object. The difference between mass and weight is that mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while weight is a measure of the force exerted on an object by gravity. To calculate acceleration, you divide the change in velocity by the change in time. According to Newton's second law of motion, force and acceleration are directly proportional. Finally, the force of gravity is calculated by multiplying the mass of an object by the gravitational acceleration of the Earth.
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1.A 25.0 kg object is attracted towards the Earth by a force of gravity of 75.0 N. How far from the Earth's centre is it?

my answer: g=Fg/m g=75N/25kg g=3 N/kg

2. A 250 kg freezer is being pushed across the floor at a constant speed by a force of 750N. What is the coefficient of friction between freezer and floor?

my answer: Fg=mg Fg=250kg(9.8N) Fg=2450kg/N
m=Fapplied/Fg m=750N/2450kg/N m=0.31kg

3. A piece cut from a bicycle inner tube is 0.70m long when it carries a load of 25.0 N the spring constant is 300 N/m. What will the length of the piece of rubber when the load is 75.0N?

my answer: F=Kx F=300N/m / 75.0N F=4m in length

4. A 60.0kg sled is coasting with a constant speed of 10.0m/s over smooth ice. It enters a 6m stretch of rough ice where the force of friction is 120N. With what speed does the sled emerge from the rough ice?

my answer: m=Ffr/Fn m=120N/588N m=0.2kg
a=?

5. A force of 5.0N gives a mass m1 and acceleration of 8.0m/s^2 and the same force gives mass m2 an acceleration of 24.0m/s^2. What acceleration would it give the two when they are fastened together?

my answer: a=Fnet/m a=5.0N/0.833kg a=6.0m/s^2

m1=(5.0N) / (8.0m/s^2) m1=0.625kg m2=(5.0N) / (24.0m/s^2) m2=0.208k

please tell me if i messed up anywhere
 
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  • #2
physica said:
1.A 25.0 kg object is attracted towards the Earth by a force of gravity of 75.0 N. How far from the Earth's centre is it?

my answer: g=Fg/m g=75N/25kg g=3 N/kg
Hi physica.
You don't seem to have answered the question here. You are asked for a distance and end with g=3 N/kg.
g is the gravitational constant which is used on the surface of the earth.
To find the approximate distance from the center of the earth, use Newton's law of gravity:
[tex]F_g=G\frac{mM}{r^2}[/tex]

2. A 250 kg freezer is being pushed across the floor at a constant speed by a force of 750N. What is the coefficient of friction between freezer and floor?

my answer: Fg=mg Fg=250kg(9.8N) Fg=2450kg/N
m=Fapplied/Fg m=750N/2450kg/N m=0.31kg
Once again. You are not asked to give a mass, but a coefficient of friction.
Use [itex]F_f=\mu N[/itex], where [itex]F_f[/itex] is the frictional force and N is the normal force.
3. A piece cut from a bicycle inner tube is 0.70m long when it carries a load of 25.0 N the spring constant is 300 N/m. What will the length of the piece of rubber when the load is 75.0N?

my answer: F=Kx F=300N/m / 75.0N F=4m in length
The unit of F is not meters...
(One way to check whether you did it right is to ask yourself: "Does the answer I obtained make sense?")

Use F=k(x-x0) to find x0 from the given data (x-x0, k and F are given). Then apply it again with F=75.0 N to find x-x0 for the second case.
 
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are the rest right?
 
  • #4
physica said:
4. A 60.0kg sled is coasting with a constant speed of 10.0m/s over smooth ice. It enters a 6m stretch of rough ice where the force of friction is 120N. With what speed does the sled emerge from the rough ice?

my answer: m=Ffr/Fn m=120N/588N m=0.2kg
a=?
There are different ways to solve this one. I'd use an energy approach.
Since m and v at the beginning are given, you can calculate the kinetic energy [itex]1/2mv^2[/itex].
The friction does negative work on the sled: W=Fd.
So you from this you know the kinetic energy at the end. you can get v from this.
5. A force of 5.0N gives a mass m1 and acceleration of 8.0m/s^2 and the same force gives mass m2 an acceleration of 24.0m/s^2. What acceleration would it give the two when they are fastened together?

my answer: a=Fnet/m a=5.0N/0.833kg a=6.0m/s^2

m1=(5.0N) / (8.0m/s^2) m1=0.625kg m2=(5.0N) / (24.0m/s^2) m2=0.208k
That's correct :smile:
 

FAQ: Calculating Forces and Accelerations

1. How do you calculate net force?

Net force is calculated by adding together all the individual forces acting on an object. This can be represented by the equation Fnet = ma, where Fnet is the net force, m is the mass of the object, and a is the acceleration.

2. What is the difference between mass and weight?

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while weight is a measure of the force exerted on an object by gravity. Mass is constant, while weight can change depending on the gravitational pull of the object's surroundings.

3. How do you calculate acceleration?

Acceleration is calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time. This can be represented by the equation a = (vf - vi) / t, where a is the acceleration, vf is the final velocity, vi is the initial velocity, and t is the time interval.

4. What is the relationship between force and acceleration?

According to Newton's second law of motion, force and acceleration are directly proportional. This means that the greater the force applied to an object, the greater its acceleration will be. This relationship can be represented by the equation F = ma, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration.

5. How do you calculate the force of gravity?

The force of gravity is calculated by multiplying the mass of an object by the gravitational acceleration of the Earth (9.8 m/s^2). This can be represented by the equation Fg = mg, where Fg is the force of gravity, m is the mass, and g is the gravitational acceleration.

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