Final answer:
To find the acceleration of the two skiers, one must sum their masses and apply Newton's second law, resulting in an acceleration of approximately 2.66 m/s².
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the forces in physics and how they apply to the real-world scenario of two people water-skiing. To determine the acceleration rate of both skiers, we need to apply Newton's second law of motion, which states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration (F = ma).
First, we must calculate the total mass of the two skiers. The sum of their masses is 48 kg + 61 kg = 109 kg.
Next, we use the given net force (which is the pull from the boat) of 290 N and the total mass to solve for acceleration (a):
a = F / m = 290 N / 109 kg ≈ 2.66 m/s2. Therefore, the skiers will accelerate at a rate of approximately 2.66 meters per second squared when the boat starts moving.