Designing an Exciting Obstacle Course

How can we calculate the final velocity of an obstacle in an obstacle course?

Given a foam, swinging log with a mass of 52.7 kg and a force of 116.2 N exerted on it to accelerate from rest over 0.6 seconds, what is the final velocity of the log as it hits the contestant?

Calculating the Final Velocity

By using the formula for Newton's second law of motion, we can determine the final velocity of the log in the obstacle course.

In this scenario, we are dealing with an exciting obstacle course that involves a swinging log intended to knock contestants off the track. To find the final velocity of the log, we first need to calculate the acceleration using the given force and mass of the log.

Newton's second law of motion states that Force (F) equals mass (m) times acceleration (a): F = ma. Therefore, rearranging the formula to solve for acceleration gives us: a = F/m. Plugging in the values, we have a = 116.2 N / 52.7 kg = 2.20 m/s².

Next, we can use the formula for calculating final velocity: v = u + at, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity (which is 0 m/s in this case), a is the acceleration, and t is the time taken to reach the final velocity. Since the log starts from rest, the formula simplifies to: v = at.

Substituting the values, we get: v = 2.20 m/s² * 0.6 s = 1.32 m/s. Therefore, the final velocity of the log as it hits the contestant is 1.32 m/s, ensuring an exciting and challenging obstacle for the participants in the course.