Question: A performer in a circus is fired from a cannon as a “human cannonball” and leaves the cannon with a speed of 16.4 m/s. The performer’s mass is 82.6 kg. The cannon barrel is 9.29 m long. Find the average net force exerted on the performer while he is being accelerated inside the cannon.
Question: A performer in a circus is fired from a cannon as a “human cannonball” and leaves the cannon with a speed of 16.4 m/s. The performer’s mass is 82.6 kg. The cannon barrel is 9.29 m long. Find the average net force exerted on the performer while he is being accelerated inside the cannon.
Solution:
Here we have the data;
Velocity or speed of “human cannonball” = 16.4 m/s
Mass of the “human cannonball” = 82.6 kg
Length of cannon barrel =S= 9.29 m
Net force =F= ?
We know formula for force is
Where F is force and m is mass and ‘a’ is acceleration.
So if we see given data – the only thing we do not have is the value of acceleration i-e ‘a’
If we can find ‘a’ then we can calculate force F.
To find ‘a’ we use formula;
Where,
S= is length of the cannon barrel = 9.29 m
Vi= Initial velocity of the actor before firing = 0 m/s
Vf = Velocity of the actor when he comes out of cannon barrel after being fired= 16.4 m/s
putting these values in the formula
Now we can use this value of ‘a’ in formula
to calculate net force;
So, the net force is 1195.7N
