A 1100kg car pulls a boat on a trailer. (a) what total force resists the motion of the car, boat, and trailer, if the car exerts a 1900n force on the road and produces an acceleration of 0.550 m/s2? the mass of the boat plus trailer trailer is 700kg. (b) what is the force in the hitch betweenthe car and the trailer if 80% of the resisting forces are experienced by the boat and trailer?

Refer to the figure shown below.

m₁ = 1100 kg, the mass of the car

m₂ = 700 kg, the mass of the trailer and boat

F = 1900 N, the driving force acting on the car

N₁ = m₁g, the normal reaction on the car

N₂ = m₂g, the normal force on the trailer and boat

μN₁ and μN₂ are frictional forces, where = kinetic coefficient of friction

T = the force in the hitch between the car and trailer.

Part (a)

Let R₁ = the total force that resists the motion of the car, boat, and trailer.

Because the acceleration is 0.550m/s², therefore

(m₁ + m₂ kg) * (0.55 m/s²) = F

(1100+700 kg) * (0.55 m/s²) = (1900 - R₁) N

990 = 1900 - R

R₁ = 910 N

Answer: The resistive force is 910 N

Part (b)

80% of the resistive forces are experienced by the boat and trailer.

Let the resistive force be R₂.

Then

R₂ = 0.8*R₁ = 728 N

If the tension in the hitch between the car and the trailer is T, then

T - R₂ = m₂ (0.55 m/s²)

(T - 728 N) = (700 kg) * (0.55 m/s²)

T - 728 = 385

T = 1113 N

Answer: The force in the hitch is 1113 N