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At a time when mining asteroids has become feasible, astronauts have connected a line between their 3500-kg space tug and a 6200-kg asteroid. Using their tug’s engine, they pull on the asteroid with a force of 490 N. Initially the tug and the asteroid are at rest, 450 m apart. How much time does it take for the tug and the asteroid to meet?

Short Answer

Expert verified
It takes approximately 64 seconds for the tug and the asteroid to meet.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Forces and Masses

We have a space tug with mass \( m_1 = 3500 \text{ kg} \) and an asteroid with mass \( m_2 = 6200 \text{ kg} \). The force applied by the tug is \( F = 490 \text{ N} \). The initial distance between them is \( d = 450 \text{ m} \).
02

Calculate Acceleration

The acceleration of both the tug and the asteroid can be determined using Newton's second law, where \( F = m imes a \). First, find the acceleration of the asteroid:\[a_2 = \frac{F}{m_2} = \frac{490}{6200} \approx 0.079 \text{ m/s}^2\].Similarly, find the acceleration of the tug:\[a_1 = \frac{F}{m_1} = \frac{490}{3500} \approx 0.14 \text{ m/s}^2\].These accelerations are directed towards each other.
03

Calculate Total Time to Meet Using Relative Motion

The distance that both the tug and asteroid need to cover in order to meet is the initial distance \( d = 450 \text{ m} \). The effective acceleration \( a \) considering they move towards each other is the sum:\[a = a_1 + a_2 = 0.14 + 0.079 = 0.219 \text{ m/s}^2\].Using the equation of motion for uniformly accelerated motion \( d = \frac{1}{2} a t^2 \), solve for \( t \):\[450 = \frac{1}{2} \times 0.219 \times t^2\]\[t^2 = \frac{450 \times 2}{0.219}\]\[t = \sqrt{\frac{900}{0.219}} \approx 63.97 \text{ seconds}\].

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Newton's Second Law
Newton's second law is fundamental in understanding how forces affect motion. It's expressed as \( F = ma \), where \( F \) is the force applied to an object, \( m \) is the mass, and \( a \) is the acceleration. This law shows that if you apply a force to an object, it will experience acceleration proportional to the force, and inversely proportional to its mass.
This principle is what guides our calculation for the asteroid and tug. By knowing the force applied and the masses involved, we can determine how each object moves.
Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate at which an object's velocity changes over time. In this exercise, acceleration is found using the formula \( a = \frac{F}{m} \).
For both the asteroid and the tug, their respective accelerations were calculated based on their masses and the total force:
  • Asteroid's acceleration: \( a_2 = 0.079 \text{ m/s}^2 \)
  • Tug's acceleration: \( a_1 = 0.14 \text{ m/s}^2 \)
These values tell us how quickly each object starts moving towards each other under the applied force.
Relative Motion
Relative motion involves understanding how two objects move in relation to one another. In our exercise, both the asteroid and the tug start from rest, moving towards each other due to the applied force.
To determine how fast they reach each other, we need to consider their combined accelerations. By adding their individual accelerations, we calculate a total effective acceleration of \( a = 0.219 \text{ m/s}^2 \). This combined acceleration helps us see their interaction better and predicts when they'll meet.
Equation of Motion
The equation of motion is crucial in calculating the time it takes for objects to meet. It's given by the formula \( d = \frac{1}{2} a t^2 \), where \( d \) is the distance covered, \( a \) is the acceleration, and \( t \) is the time.
In the problem, the distance \( d \) was 450 meters and the effective acceleration was \( a = 0.219 \text{ m/s}^2 \). By rearranging the equation and solving for \( t \), we found: \[t = \sqrt{\frac{900}{0.219}} \approx 63.97 \text{ seconds}\]
This equation helps us understand how acceleration and time work together to cover a specific distance.

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