How Do You Calculate the Mass of a Trailer Using Newton's Second Law?

In summary, when a car is pulling a trailer at a steady speed of 10 m/s, the pull on the trailer is 100N. When the car accelerates at 0.5 m/s2, the pull on the trailer increases to 150N. Assuming a constant resistance to motion, the mass of the trailer can be calculated by dividing the net force of 50N (150N - 100N) by the acceleration of 0.5 m/s2, resulting in a mass of 100kg.
  • #1
SeanGillespie
36
0

Homework Statement


A car pulls a trailer along a level road at a steady speed of 10 m/s and the pull on the trailer is 100N. When the car accelerates at 0.5 m/s2 the pull on the trailer is 150N.
Assuming the resistance to motion to be constant, find the mass of the trailer.

Homework Equations


F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution



My assumption is that since there is no acceleration in the first case, the pull on the trailer (100N) must be balanced by a resistive force (100N). Since the resistance to motion is said to be constant, in the latter case the resistance would still be 100N.

The net force while accelerating would be 50N (150N - 100N), so using F = ma, mass should be found by dividing 50N by 0.5 m/s2.

I've calculated the trailer's mass as 100kg.

I feel uneasy about the question, it seemed fairly straight-forward, just wanting an outside opinion... have I calculated this correctly?
 
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  • #2
Your calculation looks fine to me!
 

FAQ: How Do You Calculate the Mass of a Trailer Using Newton's Second Law?

1. What is Newton's second law?

Newton's second law, also known as the law of acceleration, states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.

2. How is Newton's second law used in real life?

Newton's second law is used in many real-life scenarios, such as calculating the force needed to launch a rocket into space or determining the acceleration of a car based on the force applied by the engine.

3. What is the formula for Newton's second law?

The formula for Newton's second law is F = ma, where F is the net force applied to an object, m is the mass of the object, and a is the resulting acceleration.

4. Can Newton's second law be applied to objects in motion?

Yes, Newton's second law can be applied to objects in motion as it explains how the net force acting on an object affects its acceleration, regardless of whether it is already in motion or not.

5. How does Newton's second law relate to the first and third laws?

Newton's second law can be seen as a combination of the first and third laws. It explains how an object will accelerate in response to a net force (first law) and how the force applied by one object will also affect another object (third law).

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