Jason takes off across level water on his jet-powered skis. The combined mass of Jason and his skis is 75 kg (the mass of the fuel is negligible). The skis produce a forward thrust of 200 N and have a
Coefficient of kinetic friction with water of 0.10. Unfortunately, the skis run out of fuel after only 41 S) How far from his starting point has Jason traveled when he finally coasts to a stop?
A) 1400 m
B) 2000 m
C) 3900 m
D) 2900 m

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The net force while the skis are powered is the thrust minus the friction force. The friction force is calculated as the coefficient of kinetic friction times the normal force (which equals the gravitational force here). Using Newton's second law, we find the acceleration while powered. After the fuel runs out, Jason decelerates due to friction alone. We calculate the distance traveled during both phases (powered and coasting) and sum them to find the total distance.

Jason Takes Off Across Level Water on His Jet-Powered Skis