Final answer:
To find the minimum acceleration a fireman needs to slide down a rope without it breaking, use Newton's second law of motion and set the force required to slide equal to the force of gravity acting on the fireman. The minimum acceleration is (2/3) times the acceleration due to gravity.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the minimum acceleration a fireman needs to slide down a rope without it breaking, we can use Newton's second law of motion. The force required to slide down the rope is equal to the force of gravity acting on the fireman. The breaking strength of the rope is (2/3) of the fireman's weight, so we can set up the equation:
F = ma
(2/3)mg = ma
Where F is the force required to slide down the rope, m is the mass of the fireman, and a is the minimum acceleration.
Simplifying the equation, we get:
a = (2/3)g
So the minimum acceleration the fireman needs is (2/3) times the acceleration due to gravity.