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A rugby player is being pushed backward by an opposing player who is exerting a force of 800 , {N}. The mass of the losing player plus equipment is 90.0 , {kg}, and he is accelerating at 1.20 , {m/s}² backward. (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 , {kg}? (c) Draw a sketch of the situation showing the system of interest used to solve each part. For this situation, draw a freebody diagram and write the net force equation.

The force of friction between the losing player's feet and the grass is approximately:
a) 70 , {N}
b) 90 , {N}
c) 110 , {N}
d) 130 , {N}

User Boca
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Final answer:

The force of friction acting on the rugby player's feet is suspected to be 692 N, which does not correspond to the answer choices provided. There may be a mistake in the data or the question. The force the winning player exerts on the ground is equal to 800 N according to Newton's third law, but the acceleration is needed to calculate this precisely.

Step-by-step explanation:

Force of Friction and Forces Exerted in Rugby

The scenario described involves the physical concepts of force, friction, and acceleration, which are foundationally covered in the subject of physics. Given the mass of the losing rugby player is 90.0 kg and he is accelerating backward at 1.20 m/s², we can find the force of friction by using Newton's second law, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma).


  • Total force exerted on the rugby player: F_total = ma = 90.0 kg × 1.20 m/s² = 108 N

  • Since the opposing player exerts 800 N and the player is accelerating backward, it implies there must be a force of friction acting in the opposite direction (forward):
    F_friction = F_opposing - F_total = 800 N - 108 N = 692 N.
    However, we expected a result close to the options given: 70 N, 90 N, 110 N, or 130 N. Since there's a discrepancy, there might be a misunderstanding in the interpretation of the information or the data provided may be incorrect.

For part b), assuming the winning player is exerting equal and opposite force due to Newton's third law, he must be exerting a force of 800 N on the ground. However, since the question pertains to acceleration, we would typically use F = ma to determine the force exerted by the winning player. Since no acceleration is given for the winning player, we cannot compute this without additional information.

For part c), it would be necessary to provide a free-body diagram as a visual aid, which cannot be effectively communicated through a text-based platform.

User Alex Perevozchykov
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