Question

An overnight rainstorm has caused a major roadblock. Three massive rocks of mass m1 = 598 kg, m2 = 769 kg and m3 = 311 kg have blocked a busy road. The rocks are side by side blocking the road and lined up from left to right in order as m1, m2 and m3. The city calls a local contractor to use a bulldozer to clear the road. The bulldozer applies a constant force to m1 to slide the rocks off the road. Assuming the road is a flat frictionless surface and the rocks are all in contact, what force, FA, must be applied to m1 to slowly accelerate the group of rocks from the road at 0.100 m/s2? FA = Use the value found above for FA to find the force, F12, exerted by the first rock of mass 598 kg on the middle rock of 769 kg.F12 =

An overnight rainstorm has caused a major roadblock. Three massive rocks of mass m1=598kg, m2=796kg and m3=311kg have blocked a busy road. The city calls a local contractor to use a bulldozer to clear the road. The bulldozer applies a constant force to m1 to slide the rocks off the road. Assuming the road is a flat frictionless surface and the rocks are all in contact, what force, FA must be applied to m1 to slowly accelerate the group of rocks from the road at 0.100m/s2. Use the value found above fro FA to find the force f12 exerted by the first rock of mass 598kg on the middle rock of 769kg

Answer 1

total mass = 598+769+311 kg = 1678 kg

acceleration = 0.1 m/s^2

so Fa = ma = 1678*0.1 = 167.8 N

m2 and m3 moves with force f12

so f12 = 0.1*(769+311) = 108 N

so F12 = 108 N

Answer 2

Fa = 167.8 N

F12 = 108 N