Edexcel AS Paper 2 2024 June — Question 4

Exam BoardEdexcel
ModuleAS Paper 2 (AS Paper 2)
Year2024
SessionJune
TopicNewton's laws and connected particles

4. \begin{figure}[h]
\includegraphics[alt={},max width=\textwidth]{34fc8023-cf31-420a-bb92-a31735fe5bdb-08_225_1239_280_413} \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Figure 2}
\end{figure} Figure 2 shows a car towing a trailer along a straight horizontal road.
The mass of the car is 800 kg and the mass of the trailer is 600 kg .
The trailer is attached to the car by a towbar which is parallel to the road and parallel to the direction of motion of the car and the trailer. The towbar is modelled as a light rod.
The resistance to the motion of the car is modelled as a constant force of magnitude 400 N .
The resistance to the motion of the trailer is modelled as a constant force of magnitude R newtons. The engine of the car is producing a constant driving force that is horizontal and of magnitude 1740 N. The acceleration of the car is \(0.6 \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 2 }\) and the tension in the towbar is T newtons.
Using the model,
  1. show that \(\mathrm { R } = 500\)
  2. find the value of T . At the instant when the speed of the car and the trailer is \(12.5 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 1 }\), the towbar breaks.
    The trailer moves a further distance d metres before coming to rest.
    The resistance to the motion of the trailer is modelled as a constant force of magnitude 500 N. Using the model,
  3. show that, after the towbar breaks, the deceleration of the trailer is \(\frac { 5 } { 6 } \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 2 }\)
  4. find the value of d. In reality, the distance d metres is likely to be different from the answer found in part (d).
  5. Give two different reasons why this is the case.