How Much Force Does a Track Exert on a Speeding Car?

[kashiark]

Homework Statement

After a day of testing race cars, you decide to take your own 1550 kg car onto the test track. While moving down the track at 10 m/s, you uniformly accelerate to 30 m/s in 10 s. What is the average net force that the track has applied to the car during the 10 s interval?

Homework Equations

F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution

Is it just (20/10)*1550? the only thing that confuses me is "the average net force that the track has applied to the car." The track applied to the car. Did the track apply the force?

 

[kuruman]

Your calculation is correct. Yes, the track applied the force. What else is there (not part of the train) that could provide a horizontal force? Or, if the track were completely frictionless, i.e. cannot provide a horizontal force, would the train be able to accelerate?

 

[kashiark]

If the dragster moves like a squid :) Sorry, I couldn't resist, but seriously, thanks!

 

[kuruman]

Sorry, dragster not train. Rocket-propelled dragsters do act like squids, so your comment is not as silly as you might think.