An oil tanker's engine have broken down and the wind has accelerated the tanker to a speed of 1.5m/s straight toward a reef. When the tanker is 500m from the reef, the wind dies down just as the engineer gets the engines going again. The rudder is stuck, so the only choice is to try to acclerate straight backwards away from the reef. The mass of the tanker and cargo is 3.6 X10^7 kg, and the engine produce a net horizontal force of 8.0X 10^4 N on the tanker. Will the ship hit the reef? If it does will the oil be safe? The hull can withstand an impact at a speed of .2 m/s or less.
I should have gotten .17m/s what is the equations I would use to get this answer?
Assume no friction, which for a ship in water is really a fantasy.
AverageForce*distance= 1/2 masscargoboat*v^2
solve for distance.
This problem is a far cry from reality.
sorry chris, physics stinks
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