Edexcel M1 2003 June — Question 8

Exam BoardEdexcel
ModuleM1 (Mechanics 1)
Year2003
SessionJune
TopicPulley systems

8. A car which has run out of petrol is being towed by a breakdown truck along a straight horizontal road. The truck has mass 1200 kg and the car has mass 800 kg . The truck is connected to the car by a horizontal rope which is modelled as light and inextensible. The truck's engine provides a constant driving force of 2400 N . The resistances to motion of the truck and the car are modelled as constant and of magnitude 600 N and 400 N respectively. Find
  1. the acceleration of the truck and the ear,
  2. the tension in the rope. When the truck and car are moving at \(20 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 1 }\), the rope breaks. The engine of the truck provides the same driving force as before. The magnitude of the resistance to the motion of the truck remains 600 N .
  3. Show that the truck reaches a speed of \(28 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 1 }\) approximately 6 s earlier than it would have done if the rope had not broken. \section*{END}