Question

A ship has a mass of 40,000 kg. Its engine gives it an acceleration of 0.2 m/s2 while it travels a distance of 100 meters from rest. What force does the engine exert on the ship? Show your calculation

Answer 1

The force exerted by the engine on the ship is calculated using Newton's second law, F = m × a, resulting in a force of 8,000 newtons.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the force the engine exerts on the ship, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states that force is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration. Given that the mass of the ship is 40,000 kg and the acceleration is 0.2 m/s², the force can be calculated as:

F = m × a

where

• F is the force in newtons,
• m is the mass in kilograms, and
• a is the acceleration in meters per second squared.

Substituting the given values:

F = (40,000 kg) × (0.2 m/s²)

F = 8,000 N

Therefore, the engine exerts a force of 8,000 newtons on the ship.