Mechanics: Newton's Laws of Motion

Newton's Laws of Motion: Audio Guided Solution

Problem 18:

Kelli and Jarvis are members of the stage crew for the Variety Show. Between acts, they must quickly move a Baby Grand Piano onto stage. After the curtain closes, they exert a sudden forward force of 524 N to budge the piano from rest and get it up to speed. The 158-kg piano experiences 418 N of friction.

a. What is the piano's acceleration during this phase of its motion?
b. If Kelli and Jarvis maintain this forward force for 1.44 seconds, then what speed will the piano have?

Audio Guided Solution

Habits of an Effective Problem Solver

• Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
• Identify the known and unknown quantities in an organized manner. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., v_o = 0 m/s; a = 4.2 m/s/s; v_f = 22.9 m/s; d = ???.
• Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
• Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
• Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.

Read About It!

Get more information on the topic of Newton's Laws of Motion at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.

• Newton's Second Law
• Determining Acceleration From Force Values
• The Kinematic Equations

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