| The sticky-tongued
creature at the right has just captured a 20-N miniature penguin and is
about to "reel" her in. How sticky is his tongue, you ask? Well, the coefficient
of static friction between tongue and penguin is 0.30, I answer!
Here's the problem. As the sticky-tongued creature's trainer, you must calculate the maximum rate at which his tongue can accelerate horizontally without losing the penguin. Just remember, F = ma, g = 10 m/s2, and physics is phun! |
The maximum friction force equals
the product of the coefficient and the normal force. So,
Ff = (0.3)(20 N) = 6 N The mass of the penguin is 2 kg, so a net force of 6 N results in a = (6 N) / (2 kg) = 3 m/s2
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