A hockey puck of mass 0.16kg slides across frictionless ice with an initial velocity of 4.0m/s toward the east. Once the puck is halfway across the rink, a steady wind begins to blow, exerting a constant horizontal force of 0.40N toward the north on the puck for 3.0s. Ignore air resistance other than the wind force.
(a) During the 3.0s interval that the wind acts, determine whether the puck is in translational equilibrium in the east–west direction. Explain.
(b) Determine whether the puck is in translational equilibrium in the north–south direction during that same interval. Explain.
(c) After the wind stops acting, describe qualitatively the subsequent motion of the puck over the next several seconds. Include a discussion of its velocity components in both the east–west and north–south directions.
(d) Explain how the motion you described in part (c) illustrates the principle of dimensional independence of forces and motion.