Question

A locomotive is pulling three train cars along a level track with a force of 100,000N. The car next to the locomotive has a mass of 80,000kg, next one, 50,000kg, and the last one, 70,000 kg. you can neglect the friction on the cars being pulled.
A) what if the magnitude of the force between that the 80,000-kg car exerts on the 50,000-kg car?
B) what is the magnitude of the force that the 50,000-kg car exerts on the 70,000-kg car?

Answer 1

Answer:

a) 60000 N

b) 35000 N

Explanation:

Force from locomotive = 100000 N

mass of first car = 80000 kg

mass of second car = 50000 kg

mass of third car = 70000 kg

friction is neglected in this system

Total mass of the cars = 80000 + 50000 + 70000  = 200000 kg

All the car in the system will accelerate at the same rate since they are pulled by the same force

We know that force F = ma

where

a is the acceleration of the cars

m is the total mass in the system

from this we can say that

a = F/m

a = 100000/200000 = 0.5 m/s^2

a) The total mass involved in this case = mass of the last two cars after the 80000 kg car =  50000 + 70000 = 120000 kg

therefore force exerted F = ma

F = 0.5 x 120000 = 60000 N

b) The total mass in this case = mass of the third car only = 70000 kg

F = ma

F = 70000 x 0.5 = 35000 N