Question

A 57 kg boy and a 42 kg girl use an elastic rope
while engaged in a tug-of-war on a frictionless
icy surface.
If the acceleration of the girl toward the
boy is 3.4 m/s2, determine the magnitude of
the acceleration of the boy toward the girl. Answer in units of m/s2.

Answer 1

The tension on the elastic rope can be calculated by Newton's second law:
F=ma
From the girl's acceleration, F can be found, which can then be applied to the boy to find his acceleration.

Answer 2

2.505263158 m/s2