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The toy raft shown in the top view above is sliding due east on frictionless ice at constant speed vo when a fan blows on its sail, producing a constant acceleration a directed to the north. Which of the following could indicate the path of the raft while the fan is blowing?

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Final answer:

The question deals with a toy raft moving due east and experiencing northward acceleration, resulting in a curved path. This reflects a classic example of two-dimensional motion in physics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question describes a scenario where a toy raft is initially moving due east on frictionless ice at a constant speed vo and then experiences a constant acceleration directed north due to the force from a fan. As the acceleration is directed north, perpendicular to the initial velocity (which is due east), the resultant path of the raft will be a curve (specifically, a parabola) that starts pointing east and curves towards the north. This type of motion is an example of two-dimensional motion in physics, where the resultant velocity at any point in time can be found by vector addition of the initial velocity and the velocity gained from acceleration in the north direction.

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