A supertanker of mass 4.0 × 10^8 kg, cruising at an initial speed of 4.5 m s^(–1), takes one hour to come to rest. Assume the force slowing down the tanker is constant.

From newton's first law, an object remains in its inertial frame until a force acts upon it. This means that according to a stationary observer, the object will remain at rest or continue moving at the same velocity in the same direction until a force acts upon it. From Newton's second law we know that the force is equal to the mass (not weight) times the acceleration. The supertanker therefor goes from an initial velocity v0 = 4.5m/s to vf = 0 in one hour (3600s). The acceleration is defined as the change in velocity over time a = (v0 - vf)/t. As we all the variables on the right hand side of the equation we can solve for a = 4.5/(3600) = 0.00125 m/s2. We then use this value to calculate the braking force: F = m*a = 1.25 x (10^-3) x 4 x (10^+8) = 5 x (10^5) N.

JC
Answered by Jack C. Physics tutor

10453 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is the difference between a scalar and a vector?


"An inclined plane at an angle of 25 degrees to the horizontal has a pulley at its top. A 30kg block on the plane is connected to a freely hanging 20kg block by means of a cord passing over the pulley. From rest how far will the 20kg block fall in 2s?


Define a geostationary orbit


Explain why the pressure exerted by a gas increases as they are heated at constant volume, with references to the kinetic theory of gases.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning