Question

Two tugboats pull a disabled supertanker. Each tug exerts a constant force of 1.40×106 N, one at an angle 19.0 ∘ west of north, and the other at an angle 19.0 ∘ east of north, as they pull the tanker a distance 0.630 km toward the north.

What is the total work done by the two tugboats on the supertanker?
Express your answer in joules, to three significant figures.

Answer 1

To find the total work done by the two tugboats, we need to calculate the work done by each tugboat and sum them up.

Step-by-step explanation:

Two tugboats are pulling a disabled supertanker. Each tug exerts a constant force of 1.40×10^6 N. One tugboat pulls at an angle of 19.0° west of north, and the other at an angle of 19.0° east of north. The tanker is pulled a distance of 0.630 km toward the north.

To find the total work done by the two tugboats, we need to find the work done by each tugboat and then sum them up.

The work done by a force is given by the formula:

Work = Force x Distance x cos(theta)

By using this formula for each tugboat's force and angle, we can calculate the work done. Adding these two work values will give us the total work done by the tugboats.

Finally, multiplying the total work by the force of gravity (9.8 m/s^2) will give us the answer in joules.