Final answer:
The statement about requiring two steam locomotives to haul a train of railroad cars could be true historically as demands on rail transport increased over time. The need for multiple locomotives is also supported by physics, where the force required to accelerate a train depends on its total mass and desired acceleration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that it took two steam locomotives to haul the train of railroad cars could be either true or false depending on the specific context and historical period. Initially, in the early days of rail transport, a single steam locomotive like the Tom Thumb was used to pull a train. However, as the demand for transportation grew and trains became longer and heavier, it became necessary to use multiple locomotives to haul a train of railroad cars effectively.
Considering the physics involved, specifically the concept of free energy, a steam locomotive operates by converting the energy from steam into mechanical work, which is used to pull the train. The number of locomotives required would depend on the total mass of the train and the required acceleration.
For example, if a freight train consists of two 8.00 × 105-kg engines and 45 cars with average masses of 5.50 × 105 kg, the force needed to accelerate the train can be calculated using Newton's second law of motion and taking into account the force of friction.