Question

A water-skier with a mass of 68 kg is pulled with a constant force of 870 N by a speedboat. Assuming that air resistance can be ignored, what is the vertical acceleration that the water-skier experiences on his return to the water surface? (Recall that g = 9.8 m/s²)

A) -13.6 m/s²
B) -17.1 m/s²
C) -22.5 m/s²
D) -9.8 m/s²

Answer 1

The vertical acceleration that the water-skier experiences on his return to the water surface is approximately -13.6 m/s².

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the vertical acceleration that the water-skier experiences on his return to the water surface, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration. In this case, the net force acting on the water-skier is equal to the constant force of 870 N pulling the skier. We can rearrange the equation to solve for acceleration:

F = ma

a = F/m

Substituting the given values:

a = 870 N / 68 kg

a ≈ 12.79 m/s²

Since the water-skier is returning to the water surface, which is in the opposite direction to the force, the vertical acceleration is negative. Therefore, the correct answer is A) -13.6 m/s².