Final answer:
The distance a car that weighs 5,000 N travels if 18,000 J of work is done is calculated using the formula Work = Force × Distance, giving us a result of 3.6 meters.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how far a car that weighs 5,000 N goes if 18,000 J of work is done on it, we can use the work-energy principle. The work done on an object is equal to the change in its kinetic energy, which can also be described by the formula: Work = Force × Distance × cos(θ), where θ is the angle between the force and the direction of motion. Since we're dealing with straightforward motion, the angle is considered to be 0° and cos(0°) is 1, which simplifies our formula to Work = Force × Distance. To find the distance, we can rearrange the formula to get Distance = Work / Force.
Using the given figures: Distance = 18,000 J / 5,000 N. When we calculate this, we get the Distance = 3.6 m. So, the correct answer is (b) 3.6 m.