Question

A rugby player is being pushed backward by an opposing player who is exerting a force of 800.0 N on him. The mass of the losing player plus equipment is 90.0 kg, and he is accelerating backward at 1.20m/s2. (a) What is the force of friction between the losing player’s feet and the grass? (b) What force does the winning player exert on the ground to move forward if his mass plus equipment is 110.0 kg?

a) 888 N; 800 N
b) 812 N; 800 N
c) 800 N; 888 N
d) 800 N; 812 N

Answer 1

The force of friction between the losing player's feet and the grass is 908 N, and the force exerted by the winning player on the ground to move forward is 132 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this problem, we can use Newton's second law, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration.

(a) To find the force of friction between the losing player's feet and the grass, we can use the equation:

F_friction = F_applied - F_net

Where F_applied is the force applied by the opposing player, and F_net is the net force acting on the losing player. The net force can be calculated using the equation:

F_net = m * a

Substituting the given values, we get:

F_net = (90.0 kg) * (-1.20 m/s^2) = -108 N

Now we plug this value into the equation for the force of friction:

F_friction = (800 N) - (-108 N) = 908 N

So the force of friction between the losing player's feet and the grass is 908 N.

(b) To find the force exerted by the winning player on the ground to move forward, we can use the equation:

F_net = m * a

Substituting the given values, we get:

F_net = (110.0 kg) * (1.20 m/s^2) = 132 N

So the force exerted by the winning player on the ground to move forward is 132 N.