Question

What is the absolute value of the horizontal force that each athlete exerts against the ground?

Answer 1

The questions involve applying Newton's laws of motion and principles of static equilibrium to find the horizontal force each athlete exerts, the magnitude of acceleration of teams, and tension in ropes, as well as resultant forces on players.

Step-by-step explanation:

These questions pertain to the fundamental principles of mechanics in physics, focusing on Newton's laws of motion and static equilibrium. For instance, when determining the horizontal force that each athlete exerts against the ground in a tug-of-war, we apply Newton's second law (Fnet = ma). To find the magnitude of the acceleration of the two teams, one would divide the total force exerted by the combined mass of the team members.

For the tension in the rope, and the average force exerted on the ground, similarly, we use the principles of mechanics, remembering that the tension in the rope will be equal to the force applied by each team if the teams are in static equilibrium (not accelerating). In another situation, the resultant force on a rugby player is calculated by summing the forces exerted in each direction, which is essential for understanding concepts such as resultant forces and equilibrium.

Answer 2

Refer to the diagram shown below.

When an athlete is in motion, he/she exerts a vertical force (the person's weight, W) on the ground. The ground exerts an equal and opposite force, N, the normal reaction on the athlete, so that W = N.

At the same time, the ground exerts a horizontal force, F, o n the athlete so that he/she does not slip.
The magnitude of the horizontal force is
F = μN = μW
where μ = the dynamic coefficient of friction.

Answer:
The horizontal force is μW,
where
W = the weight of the athlete and,
μ = the dynamic coefficient of friction.