Answer :
Final answer:
The force exerted by the buffer is calculated using Newton's second law. With a deceleration of -1.5 m/s^2 for a 103 kg truck, the force is found to be 154.5 N. The closest given answer is B) 206 N.
Explanation:
To calculate the force exerted by the buffer on the truck, we can use the formula F = ma, where F is the force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration (or deceleration in this case). The truck's initial velocity (vi) is 3 m/s, and it comes to rest, so its final velocity (vf) is 0 m/s. The time (t) it takes to come to rest is given as 2 seconds. To find the acceleration, we use the formula a = (vf - vi) / t. Plugging in the values:
a = (0 m/s - 3 m/s) / 2 s = -1.5 m/s2
The negative sign indicates that this is a deceleration. Now we can calculate the force:
F = m * a = 103 kg * (-1.5 m/s2) = -154.5 N
The negative sign indicates that the force is in the opposite direction of motion, which in real terms, means that it's acting to stop the truck. However, when asked for the magnitude of force, we report the positive value:
Force exerted by the buffer = 154.5 N
Thus, the answer closest to the calculated force is B) 206 N.
