Net Forces on a Truck and Trailer

What are the net forces acting on the trailer and the truck?

Calculate the net vertical and horizontal forces on each vehicle based on the given parameters.

The net vertical force on the trailer is 0, while the net horizontal force on the trailer is 20,000 N to the right.

The net vertical force on the truck is 0, while the net horizontal force on the truck is 6,400 N to the right.

When analyzing the forces acting on the trailer and the truck, we can calculate the net forces to determine the overall force impacting the vehicles. For the trailer, the net vertical force is determined by subtracting the force due to gravity from the normal force:

Net vertical force on the trailer = 250,000 N - 250,000 N = 0

And the net horizontal force on the trailer is simply 20,000 N to the right, as given in the data.

Similarly, for the truck, the net vertical force is calculated by subtracting the force due to gravity from the normal force:

Net vertical force on the truck = 80,000 N - 80,000 N = 0

And the net horizontal force on the truck is the difference between the right horizontal force and the left horizontal force:

Net horizontal force on the truck = 26,400 N - 20,000 N = 6,400 N to the right

So, the net forces on each vehicle are equal to 0 in the vertical direction and 20,000 N to the right for the trailer, and 6,400 N to the right for the truck. By understanding these net forces, we can better comprehend how the vehicles are affected by the various forces acting upon them.

← What happens after an elastic collision between a golf ball and a billiard ball Exciting physics exploration understanding the concept of inertia →