Final answer:
The total force resisting the motion of the car, boat, and trailer can be calculated using Newton's second law. The force in the hitch between the car and the trailer can be found by considering the distribution of resisting forces.
Step-by-step explanation:
The total force resisting the motion of the car, boat, and trailer can be calculated by considering the forces acting on the system. For part (a) of the question, we know that the car exerts a force of 1900 N on the road and has an acceleration of 0.550 m/s². The mass of the boat plus trailer is given as 700 kg.
To find the total force, we can use Newton's second law, which states that F = ma. The total force resisting the motion is equal to the product of the mass and acceleration: F = (1100 kg + 700 kg) × 0.550 m/s² = 1210 N.
For part (b) of the question, if 80% of the resisting forces are experienced by the boat and trailer, then we can calculate the force in the hitch between the car and the trailer by multiplying the total force by 0.8: F_hitch = 0.8 × 1210 N = 968 N.