College

Two men pull on a cart with a mass of 90 kg. If one man pulls with 140 N to the right and the other man pulls with 195 N to the left, find the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of the cart.

Answer :

Answer:

magnitude : 0.6 m/s²

Direction : Left

Explanation:

m = mass of the cart = 90 kg

Taking force in right direction as positive and force in left direction as negative

F₁ = Force applied by man 1 = 140 N

F₂ = Force applied by other man = - 195 N

a = acceleration of the cart

Force equation for the motion of the cart is given as

F₁ + F₂ = ma

140 + (- 195) = 90 a

a = - 0.6 m/s²

magnitude of acceleration is 0.6 m/s²

The negative sign indicates the direction of acceleration towards left

Final answer:

The magnitude of the cart's acceleration is approximately 0.611 m/s², and the direction is to the left.

Explanation:

When calculating the acceleration of the cart, we need to consider the net force acting on it and its mass. The net force is found by subtracting the smaller force from the larger force, taking into account their directions. With forces of 140 N to the right and 195 N to the left, the net force is the difference, which is 195 N - 140 N = 55 N, directed to the left since the larger force is in that direction. Using Newton's second law, acceleration (a) is the net force (Fnet) divided by the mass (m).

To find the magnitude of the acceleration, calculate a = Fnet / m. So, a = 55 N / 90 kg which equals approximately 0.611 m/s2. Since the larger force was to the left, the direction of the acceleration is also to the left.