An airplane of mass 1.7 × 10⁴ kg tows a glider of mass 0.9 × 10⁴ kg.The airplane propellers provide a net forward thrust of 4.0 × 10⁴ N.What is the glider's acceleration? A)1.5 m/s² B)2.4 m/s² C)5.0 m/s² D)4.4 m/s² E)9.8 m/s²

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The net force on the system (airplane + glider) is 4.0 × 104 N. The total mass of the system is 1.7 × 104 kg + 0.9 × 104 kg = 2.6 × 104 kg. Therefore, the acceleration of the system is 4.0 × 104 N / 2.6 × 104 kg = 1.5 m/s2.

An Airplane of Mass 1