What Is the Tension in a Cable at an Angle?

[da5id2]

I'm having trouble finding what formula to use for this:

A tow truck is connected to a 1400 kg car by a cable that makes a 25 degree angle to the horizontal.

If the truck accelerates at 0.55 m/s^2, what is the magnitude of the cable tension? Neglect friction and the mass of the cable.

 

[tiny-tim]

Welcome to PF!

A tow truck is connected to a 1400 kg car by a cable that makes a 25 degree angle to the horizontal.

If the truck accelerates at 0.55 m/s^2, what is the magnitude of the cable tension? Neglect friction and the mass of the cable.

Hi da5id2! Welcome to PF!

The car obviously has the same acceleration as the truck, 0.55 m/s^2.

So use good ol' Newton's second law for the external forces on the car in the horizontal direction.