An empty supply sled of mass is being tested on the surface of Mars
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
An empty supply sled of mass 20kg is being tested on the surface of Mars. A horizontal rope pulls the sled with a constant force of 60N.
Mars’s gravitational field magnitude: gMars=3.7ms−2
Coefficient of kinetic friction between the sled runners and the Martian surface: μk=0.15
(a) Compute the sled’s weight on Mars.
(b) Determine the magnitude of the normal force exerted by the surface on the sled.
(c) Calculate the magnitude of the kinetic friction force acting on the sled.
(d) Find the sled’s acceleration while the 60N pull is applied.
(e) Starting from rest, the sled travels 12m under the conditions described. Compute the work done by friction during this interval and determine the sled’s change in kinetic energy.