What is the Net Force Acting on a Truck and Trailer System?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the net force acting on a truck and trailer system, where a 1200 kg truck tows a 300 kg trailer. The user attempts to apply Newton's second law (F=ma) but struggles with the correct setup, particularly in determining acceleration due to a lack of clear information about the trailer's movement. They calculate forces based on the weights of the truck and trailer but realize their approach is incorrect after receiving feedback from an online homework platform. Clarification is needed regarding the trailer's distance traveled and the time taken to accurately compute acceleration and net force. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding the problem context to apply physics principles correctly.
VeryJerri
Messages
1
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



A 1200 kg pickup truck tows a small 300 kg trailer using a relatively lightweight tow rope. The position of the trailer is given in m and time in s. *There is an animation which shows the truck pulling the trailer across X-axis.
Given: x= -20; y= +1 **BTW, i don't know what the given has to do with anything here! :x
Starts from zero ends at 16 seconds.

Homework Equations



I know F= ma. They did not give acceleration so I looked up my notes and found that:
if I set p=truck and r= trailer g=ground, then

a = Fpg - Frg/ (mp + mr) ... a= F/m


The Attempt at a Solution



but I'm not sure if I set that up right! I mean i took mass of truck (p) = 1200kg x 9.8 m/s^2 to give me 11760 N then mass of trailer (r) = 300 kg x 9.8 m/s^2 to give me 2940 N. (11760-2940/(1200+300) = 8820/1500 = a = 5.88.
So if F= ma, then F = 1500 x 5.88 which gives me 8820 N.

Is this correct? What should I do? Please help...physics scares me lol

OK, so i know its incorrect bc I got it wrong on my online homework (webassign). So...?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
You are going to have to clarify the problem. Does the truck-trailer system travel 20 meters in 16 seconds? You'd have to calculate the acceleration, then the net force providng that acceleration. Welcome to PF.
 

Thread 'Errors and significant figures'

I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
View full post »
Thread 'Calculation of Tensile Forces in Piston-Type Water-Lifting Devices at Elevated Locations'

Thread 'Calculation of Tensile Forces in Piston-Type Water-Lifting Devices at Elevated Locations'

Figure 1 Overall Structure Diagram Figure 2: Top view of the piston when it is cylindrical A circular opening is created at a height of 5 meters above the water surface. Inside this opening is a sleeve-type piston with a cross-sectional area of 1 square meter. The piston is pulled to the right at a constant speed. The pulling force is（Figure 2）： F = ρshg = 1000 × 1 × 5 × 10 = 50,000 N. Figure 3: Modifying the structure to incorporate a fixed internal piston When I modify the piston...
View full post »
Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
View full post »

Similar threads

Calculating Net Force of 3 Blocks in an Elevator
Replies
9
Views
2K
How Should Forces Be Calculated in a Truck-Trailer System?
Replies
4
Views
5K
Change in momentum: Child jumping from a swing on a playground
Replies
6
Views
2K
What Are the Net Forces Acting on the Kuiper Belt Object Ultima Thule?
Replies
3
Views
2K
Which answer is correct? Grocery Bag Net Force Question
Replies
10
Views
7K
Force exerted from car on trailer question
Replies
7
Views
17K
Finding the net gravitational force on a rocket....
Replies
5
Views
2K
How Do I Determine Force of Static Friction on a Rolling Car
Replies
15
Views
2K
To help reduce the severity of accidents [Average net force]
Replies
7
Views
2K
Determining Tension & Lift Force for Helicopter & Truck
Replies
6
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top