Net Force Worksheet: Solving Acceleration, Mass & Friction Problems

[vinboi]

Homework Statement

A top fuel dragster accelerates at six times the acceleration of gravity. Its mass is 3000kg and it has an initial frictional force of 6000N

M = 3000kg
A = 60ms^-2 (Lets just say gravity = 10ms^-2 down)

Homework Equations

a) What is the total force?

b) What is the engine force?

c) At 300km/h the frictional force has increased to 50,000N, what is its acceleration at this speed?

The Attempt at a Solution

a) F_net = MA
= 60*3000
= 180,000N or 180kN

b) Sorry I have no idea what this is asking for

c) Sorry I have no idea what this is asking for

Basically I don't understand what to do in those questions. If anyone could point me in the right direction it'd be greatly appreciated

 

[RoyalCat]

How does friction-based propulsion work?
If you can answer that, the question should become fairly simple.

Remember Newton's third law, and take into consideration what you do when you walk, you push off the ground, right?

Try drawing an FBD for the car, and for the FLOOR. The net force on the floor is NOT 0 (Though its acceleration in the direction opposite the movement of the car is completely negligible)

 

[tomcue]

.

As a scientist, it is important to understand the basic principles of physics and how to apply them to real-world situations. In this case, we are dealing with a top fuel dragster, which is a type of high-performance racing car that can accelerate at an incredible rate. To solve the problems in this worksheet, we need to use the equations of motion and Newton's laws of motion.

a) To find the total force, we can use the equation F = ma, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration. In this case, the total force is equal to the mass (3000kg) multiplied by the acceleration (60ms-2), which gives us a total force of 180,000N or 180kN.

b) The question is asking for the engine force, which is the force produced by the car's engine to propel it forward. In this case, we can assume that the engine force is equal to the total force that we calculated in part a), as there are no other forces acting on the car.

c) Now, the question is asking us to calculate the acceleration of the car when it is traveling at a speed of 300km/h (83.33m/s) and the frictional force has increased to 50,000N. To solve this, we can use the equation F = ma again, but this time we need to rearrange it to solve for acceleration. So, the equation becomes a = F/m. Plugging in the values, we get an acceleration of approximately 16.67ms-2.

In conclusion, understanding the basic principles of physics and how to apply them is crucial in solving real-world problems. By using the equations of motion and Newton's laws of motion, we can accurately calculate the forces and accelerations involved in a situation like the one described in this net force worksheet.