Question

A 50 kg person rows his boat towards the east with 5 N of force. The stream pushes his rowboat to the south with 12 N of force. What is the acceleration of the boat?

Answer 1

The acceleration of the boat is:

`a=0.26\: m/s^(2)`

Step-by-step explanation:

We need to find the total force acting on the boat, first of all.

We have one force (F1) towards the east and a second force (F2) towards the south, forming a right triangle.

So, we can use the Pythagorean theorem to find the magnitude of the total force (F(tot))

`F_(tot)=\sqrt{F_(1)^(2)+F_(2)^(2)}`

`F_(tot)=\sqrt{5^(2)+(-12)^(2)}`

`F_(tot)=13\: N`

Applying Newton's second law, we can find the acceleration of the boat.

`F_(tot)=ma`

`a=(F_(tot))/(m)`

`a=(13)/(50)`

`a=0.26\: m/s^(2)`

I hope it helps you!