SAMPLE PROBLEMS

Superman throws a 2400 N boulder at an adversary. What horizontal force must Superman apply to the
boulder to give it a horizontal acceleration of 12.0 m/s2

ANSWER: 2938.8 N

At the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io, the acceleration due to gravity is g = 1.81 m/s2. A watermelon weighs 44.0
N at the surface of the Earth.

a. What is the watermelon’s mass on the earth’s surface?

ANSWER: 4.49 kg
b. What are its mass and weight on the surface of Io?
ANSWER: 4.49 kg and 8.13 N

An astronaut’s pack weighs 17.5 N when she is on Earth but only 3.24 N when she is at the surface of an
asteroid.

a. What is the acceleration due to gravity on this asteroid?

ANSWER: 1.81 m/s2
b. What is the mass of the pack on the asteroid?
ANSWER: 1.79 kg

World-class sprinters can accelerate out of the starting blocks with an acceleration that is nearly horizontal and
has magnitude 15 m/s2.

a. How much horizontal force must a 55 kg sprinter exert on the starting blocks during a start to produce
this acceleration?
ANSWER: 825 N
b. Which body exerts the force that propels the sprinter: the blocks or the sprinter herself?
ANSWER: The blocks exert an equal and opposite force on the sprinter, propelling her forward.

A small car (mass 380 kg) is pushing a large truck (mass 900 kg) due east on a level road. The car exerts a
horizontal force of 1200 N on the truck. What is the magnitude of the force that the truck exerts on the car?

1200 N