An airplane of mass 1.2 ´ 10⁴ kg tows a glider of mass 0.6 ´ 10⁴ kg.The airplane propellers provide a net forward thrust of 3.6 ´ 10⁴ N.What is the glider's acceleration? A)2.0 m/s² B)3.0 m/s² C)6.0 m/s² D)9.8 m/s²

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The net force acting on the system (airplane + glider) is 3.6 ´ 10⁴ N. The total mass of the system is 1.8 ´ 10⁴ kg. Therefore, the acceleration of the system is 3.6 ´ 10⁴ N / 1.8 ´ 10⁴ kg = 2.0 m/s².

An Airplane of Mass 1