Ice Skating Collision: Solving a Physics Problem

[shell4987]

Homework Statement

A 49 kg woman is ice-skating toward the east on a frictionless frozen lake when she collides with a 97 kg man who is ice-skating toward the west. The maximum force exerted on the woman by the man during the collision is 160 N, west. Take east to be the positive direction of the x axis. (a) What is the maximum force on the man from the woman, including direction? (b) What is the maximum acceleration of the woman, including direction? (c) What is the maximum acceleration of the man, including direction?

Homework Equations

F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution

How would I go about solving this problem? I tried drawing a diagram of the two people colliding to figure that out, but I didn't really know where to go from there.

 

[learningphysics]

Use Newton's laws... you might want to review the 3 laws... and try to see how they apply here...

 

[FedEx]

Homework Statement

A 49 kg woman is ice-skating toward the east on a frictionless frozen lake when she collides with a 97 kg man who is ice-skating toward the west. The maximum force exerted on the woman by the man during the collision is 160 N, west. Take east to be the positive direction of the x axis. (a) What is the maximum force on the man from the woman, including direction? (b) What is the maximum acceleration of the woman, including direction? (c) What is the maximum acceleration of the man, including direction?

Homework Equations

F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution

How would I go about solving this problem? I tried drawing a diagram of the two people colliding to figure that out, but I didn't really know where to go from there.

Use the third law of motion.