A 2200-kg

airplane pulls two gliders, the first of mass 350 kg
and the second of mass 250 kg
, down the runway with an acceleration of 1.3 m/s2
(Figure 1). Neglect the mass of the two ropes and any frictional forces. Determine the magnitude of the net force on the first glider.

1 answer

To find the magnitude of the net force on the first glider (mass \( m_1 = 350 \) kg), we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states:

\[ F_{\text{net}} = m \cdot a \]

where:

  • \( F_{\text{net}} \) is the net force,
  • \( m \) is the mass,
  • \( a \) is the acceleration.

In this case, the acceleration \( a \) is given as \( 1.3 , \text{m/s}^2 \).

Now, substituting the known values for the first glider:

\[ F_{\text{net,1}} = m_1 \cdot a = 350 , \text{kg} \cdot 1.3 , \text{m/s}^2 \]

Calculating the force:

\[ F_{\text{net,1}} = 350 \cdot 1.3 = 455 , \text{N} \]

Thus, the magnitude of the net force on the first glider is:

\[ \boxed{455 , \text{N}} \]