Question

A 20 kg sled is resting on a horizontal snowy surface. If a rightward force of 142 N at an angle of 45° to the ground pulls it into motion and experiences a friction force of 56 N, what is the acceleration of the sled?

Answer 1

To find the acceleration of the sled, resolve the force into its horizontal and vertical components. Subtract the friction force from the horizontal component to find the net force. Use Newton's second law to calculate the acceleration.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this problem, we can first resolve the force into its horizontal and vertical components. The horizontal component of the force can be found by multiplying the force magnitude by the cosine of the angle: Fhorizontal = 142 N * cos(45°) = 100.4 N.

The net force acting horizontally can then be found by subtracting the friction force from the horizontal component of the force: Fnet = Fhorizontal - Ffriction = 100.4 N - 56 N = 44.4 N.

Finally, the acceleration of the sled can be calculated using Newton's second law: a = Fnet / m = 44.4 N / 20 kg = 2.22 m/s².