An overnight rainstorm has caused a major roadblock. Three massive rocks of mass

Question

An overnight rainstorm has caused a major roadblock. Three massive rocks of mass m1 = 514 kg, m2 = 7.00 × 102 kg and m3 = 377 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?

Use the value found above for FA to find the force, F12, exerted by the first rock of mass 514 kg on the middle rock of 7.00 × 102 kg.

Explanation / Answer

m1 = 514 kg

m2 = 7.00 × 102 kg

m3 = 377 kg

The bulldozer applies a constant force to m1 to slide the rocks off the road

the road is a flat frictionless surface and the rocks are all in contact

Acceleration of all the blocks will be same i.e all will slide together

Acceleration = 0.100 m/s2

force, FA = Mass *acceleration = (514 + 700 + 377)*0.10 = 159.1 N

the force, F12 = (700 + 377)*0.1 = 107.7 N

the force, F23 = 377*0.1 = 37.7 N

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