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Ch 04: Newton's Laws of Motion
Chapter 4, Problem 4

A hockey puck with mass 0.160 kg is at rest at the origin (x = 0) on the horizontal, frictionless surface of the rink. At time t = 0 a player applies a force of 0.250 N to the puck, parallel to the x-axis; she continues to apply this force until t = 2.00s. (a) What are the position and speed of the puck at t = 2.00 s?

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1
Calculate the acceleration of the puck using Newton's second law, which states that the force applied to an object equals its mass times its acceleration (F = ma). Rearrange the formula to solve for acceleration (a = F/m).
Use the acceleration to find the velocity of the puck at t = 2.00 s. Since the puck starts from rest, its initial velocity is 0 m/s. Use the formula for velocity under constant acceleration, v = u + at, where u is the initial velocity.
Calculate the position of the puck at t = 2.00 s using the formula for displacement under constant acceleration, x = ut + 0.5at^2, where u is the initial velocity and x is the displacement from the origin.
Substitute the values of initial velocity, acceleration, and time into the displacement formula to find the position of the puck at t = 2.00 s.
Substitute the values of initial velocity, acceleration, and time into the velocity formula to find the speed of the puck at t = 2.00 s.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This relationship is expressed by the formula F = ma, where F is the net force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration. In this scenario, the applied force on the hockey puck will determine its acceleration, which is crucial for calculating its position and speed over time.
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Kinematic Equations

Kinematic equations describe the motion of objects under constant acceleration. They relate displacement, initial velocity, final velocity, acceleration, and time. For this problem, the relevant equations will help determine the puck's position and speed after the force has been applied for a specific duration, allowing us to calculate how far it has moved and how fast it is traveling at t = 2.00 s.
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Initial Conditions and Uniform Motion

In this problem, the hockey puck starts from rest, meaning its initial velocity is zero. Understanding initial conditions is essential for applying kinematic equations correctly. Since the surface is frictionless, the puck will experience uniform acceleration due to the constant force applied, allowing us to predict its motion accurately over the given time interval.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Crates A and B sit at rest side by side on a frictionless horizontal surface. They have masses mA and mB, respectively. When a horizontal force F is applied to crate A, the two crates move off to the right. (a) Draw clearly labeled free-body diagrams for crate A and for crate B. Indicate which pairs of forces, if any, are third-law action–reaction pairs.
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Textbook Question
A ball is hanging from a long string that is tied to the ceiling of a train car traveling eastward on horizontal tracks. An observer inside the train car sees the ball hang motionless. Draw a clearly labeled free-body diagram for the ball if (b) the train is speeding up uniformly. Is the net force on the ball zero in either case? Explain.
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Textbook Question
You walk into an elevator, step onto a scale, and push the 'up' button. You recall that your normal weight is 625 N. Draw a free-body diagram. (b) If you hold a 3.85-kg package by a light vertical string, what will be the tension in this string when the elevator accelerates as in part (a)?
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Textbook Question
A man is dragging a trunk up the loading ramp of a mover's truck. The ramp has a slope angle of 20.0°, and the man pulls upward with a force F→ whose direction makes an angle of 30.0° with the ramp (Fig. E4.4). (b) How large will the component Fy perpendicular to the ramp be then?

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Textbook Question
A man is dragging a trunk up the loading ramp of a mover's truck. The ramp has a slope angle of 20.0°, and the man pulls upward with a force F→ whose direction makes an angle of 30.0° with the ramp (Fig. E4.4). (a) How large a force F→ is necessary for the component Fx parallel to the ramp to be 90.0 N?
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Textbook Question
You walk into an elevator, step onto a scale, and push the 'up' button. You recall that your normal weight is 625 N. Draw a free-body diagram. (a) When the elevator has an upward acceleration of magnitude 2.50 m/s2, what does the scale read?
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