AQA M1 2007 June — Question 4

Exam BoardAQA
ModuleM1 (Mechanics 1)
Year2007
SessionJune
TopicNewton's laws and connected particles

4 A car, of mass 1200 kg , is connected by a tow rope to a truck, of mass 2800 kg . The truck tows the car in a straight line along a horizontal road. Assume that the tow rope is horizontal. A horizontal driving force of magnitude 3000 N acts on the truck. A horizontal resistance force of magnitude 800 N acts on the car. The car and truck accelerate at \(0.4 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 2 }\).
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  1. Find the tension in the tow rope.
  2. Show that the magnitude of the horizontal resistance force acting on the truck is 600 N .
  3. In fact, the tow rope is not horizontal. Assume that the resistance forces and the driving force are unchanged. Is the tension in the tow rope greater or less than in part (a)? Explain why.