Final answer:
To determine the acceleration and tension when the order of barges is reversed, use Newton's second law by considering frictional forces and computing net force and then dividing by total mass. Tension is found by analyzing forces on each barge.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the acceleration of a system of barges and the tension in the connecting cable when the order of the barges is reversed and the tugboat pulls a different barge. To find these values, one would apply Newton's second law, F = ma, where F is the net force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration, considering the forces of friction on both barges.
According to the provided information from the previous exercises, the net force on the entire system can be calculated by subtracting the total frictional forces from the applied force of the tugboat. Once the net force is found, the acceleration of the system can be calculated by dividing the net force by the total mass of the barges. After the acceleration is known, the tension in the cable can be determined by analyzing the forces acting on each individual barge.