A car is towing a trailer along a straight horizontal road by means of a horizontal tow-rope. The mass of the car is 1400 kg. The mass of the trailer is 700 kg. The car and the trailer are modelled as particles and the tow-rope as a light inextensible string. The resistances to motion of the car and the trailer are assumed to be constant and of magnitude 630 N and 280 N respectively. The driving force on the car, due to its engine, is 2380 N.
Find the acceleration of the car.
Find the tension in the tow-rope.
When the car and trailer are moving at 12 m s-1, the tow-rope breaks. Assuming that the driving force on the car and the resistances to motion are unchanged, find the distance moved by the car in the first 4 s after the tow-rope breaks.
State how you have used the modelling assumption that the tow-rope is inextensible.
Practise Edexcel A Level Old Maths Dynamics - F=ma with exam-style questions for A Level Old Maths. 2 questions, matched to the Edexcel A Level Old Maths (9371) specification and written in Unit exams C1, C2, C3 and C4 plus two applied units (e.g. S1 and M1) style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.