Question

a sprinter with a mass of 80kg accelerates uniformly from 0 m/s to 9 m/s in 3 s. a.)what is the runners acceleration? b.) what is the net force on the runner? c.) how far does the sprinter travel during the 3 s?

Answer 1

Part A:
Acceleration can be calculated by dividing the difference of the initial and final velocities by the given time. That is,
a = (Vf - Vi) / t
where a is acceleration,
Vf is final velocity,
Vi is initial velocity, and
t is time

Substituting,
a = (9 m/s - 0 m/s) / 3 s = 3 m/s²
ANSWER: 3 m/s²

Part B:
From Newton's second law of motion, the net force is equal to the product of the mass and acceleration,
F = m x a
where F is force,
m is mass, and
a is acceleration

Substituting,
F = (80 kg) x (3 m/s²) = 240 kg m/s² = 240 N

ANSWER: 240 N

Part C:
The distance that the sprinter travel is calculated through the equation,
d = V₀t + 0.5at²

Substituting,
d = (0 m/s)(3 s) + 0.5(3 m/s²)(3 s)²
d = 13.5 m

ANSWER: d = 13.5 m