A Small Car Pushes a Large Car: Free Body Diagram
Introduction
When a small car pushes a large car, several forces act on each vehicle. These forces can be represented using a free body diagram. A free body diagram is a graphical representation of all the forces acting on an object.
Forces Acting on the Small Car
The following forces act on the small car:
* Force applied by the small car: This is the force that the small car exerts on the large car. It is directed to the right.
* Force of friction: This is the force that opposes the motion of the small car. It is directed to the left.
* Normal force: This is the force that the ground exerts on the small car. It is directed upwards.
* Weight: This is the force of gravity acting on the small car. It is directed downwards.
Forces Acting on the Large Car
The following forces act on the large car:
* Force applied by the small car: This is the force that the small car exerts on the large car. It is directed to the left.
* Force of friction: This is the force that opposes the motion of the large car. It is directed to the right.
* Normal force: This is the force that the ground exerts on the large car. It is directed upwards.
* Weight: This is the force of gravity acting on the large car. It is directed downwards.
Free Body Diagram
The free body diagrams for the small car and the large car are shown below.
Small Car
[Image of free body diagram for small car]
Large Car
[Image of free body diagram for large car]
Analysis
By analyzing the free body diagrams, we can determine the following:
* The force applied by the small car is greater than the force of friction acting on the small car. This is because the small car is able to move the large car.
* The force of friction acting on the large car is greater than the force applied by the small car. This is because the large car is more massive than the small car.
* The normal force acting on the small car is equal to the weight of the small car.
* The normal force acting on the large car is equal to the weight of the large car.
Conclusion
Free body diagrams are a useful tool for understanding the forces acting on objects. By analyzing the free body diagrams for the small car and the large car, we were able to determine the forces that are responsible for the motion of the two vehicles.
