It is late and Carlos is sliding down a rope from his third-floor window to meet his friend Juan.As he slides down the rope faster and faster,he becomes frightened and grabs harder on the rope,increasing the tension in the rope.As soon as the upward tension in the rope becomes equal to his weight:
A)Carlos will stop.
B)Carlos will slow down.
C)Carlos will continue down at a constant velocity.
D)the rope must break.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's second law of motion, the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration. When Carlos continues to slide down at a constant velocity, this means that the net force on him is zero, which happens when the upward tension in the rope is equal to his weight. Therefore, he will continue down at a constant velocity. The rope does not need to break in this scenario.

It Is Late and Carlos Is Sliding Down a Rope