Homework Help: Rail way car acceleration problem

raman911 · Mar 26, 2007

The engine of a train has mass of 5*10^4kg. It can accelerate six rail way cars having a total mass of 3*10^5kg at 0.40m/s^2. What acceleration can it give four railway cars having a total mass of 2*10^5kg?
i don't know what to do?
plz help

raman911 · Mar 26, 2007

help plzzzzzzzzzz

PhanthomJay · Mar 26, 2007

raman911 said: ↑

The engine of a train has mass of 5*10^4kg. It can accelerate six rail way cars having a total mass of 3*10^5kg at 0.40m/s^2. What acceleration can it give four railway cars having a total mass of 2*10^5kg?
i don't know what to do?
plz help

you should start by showing us what you know about Newton's 2nd law and how you might apply it to solve this problem.

raman911 · Mar 26, 2007

PhanthomJay said: ↑

you should start by showing us what you know about Newton's 2nd law and how you might apply it to solve this problem.

i am not understandig that problem
how can i show u work

PhanthomJay · Mar 26, 2007

Can you write down Newton's 2nd law?

raman911 · Mar 26, 2007

Fnet=ma
.................

PhanthomJay · Mar 26, 2007

raman911 said: ↑

Fnet=ma
.................

Yes, correct. Now in the problem statement, you are given the acceleration and the mass of the engine and the and 6 cars. Can you solve for Fnet?

raman911 · Mar 26, 2007

PhanthomJay said: ↑

Yes, correct. Now in the problem statement, you are given the acceleration and the mass of the engine and the and 6 cars. Can you solve for Fnet?

can u do that
i don't understand

a9211l · Mar 26, 2007

If F=ma, and you have a total mass and an acceleration.... then I'm pretty sure you can solve for F.

xiankai · Mar 27, 2007

F_net = m_enginea₁ + 6m_cara₁

now since the pulling power of the engine (the force it can exert) is assumed to be constant,

F_net = m_enginea₂ + 4m_CARa₂