- #1
cwill53
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- Homework Statement
- 5. Three barges of different displacement are being towed one behind the other by a tugboat. The thrust developed by the propeller of the tug is 3600lbs, the drag of the tug is 1200lbs. The drags of the first, second, and third barge are 1200lbs, 800lbs, and 400lbs, respectively. The tensile strength of the available rope is 400lbs. How many ropes of this strength must be used to attach each barge to the preceding one? The motion of the train is rectilinear and uniform.
- Relevant Equations
- $$\sum \vec{F}=m\vec{a}$$
"Collection of Problems of Mechanics" by Meshcherskii.I see how the answer could be arrived at because each successive drag increases the number of ropes that must be used, but what I don't understand is why the thrust and drag of the tug doesn't play a role in the number of ropes required.