They do the method 3 times to be sure. Because if you do it once, that could mean anything. If you do it twice, it may or may not have the same result. If you do it 3 times and it matches one of the previous answers, then it's likely that it's correct.
If you are pushing the coin across the table at a constant rate, the friction of the table and the horizontal force of your hand pushing are equal, and the coin itself moves at a constant rate. If you push a coin and let it go, there is no horizontal force keeping the coin going. Friction slows the coin to a stop. In both cases, the gravitational downward pull of Earth is equally but oppositely resisted by the upward push of table on the coin.
What are you trying to here?
Work-Energy :W = 1/2 m ( Vf^2 -Vo^2 )
Vo = 24.0 m/s Initial speed
Vf = 27.5 m/s Final speed
W = 1/2 m ( Vf^2 -Vo^2 )
160 kj = 1/ 2 m ( 27.5^2 -24.0 ^2)
160kj = 4680 x m
convert kilo joules to jeoules 160000 j = 4689 xm
m = 160000 j/4689
m = 34.18 kg
