Question

A dolphin experiences a force of 320 N [U] when it jumps out of the water. The acceleration of the dolphin is 2.60 m/s2 [U]. a) Calculate the mass of the dolphin. b) What would be the acceleration of the dolphin if it had the same strength but half the mass?

Answer 1

a) f=ma (solve for a)
b) I think it is 22.5.

Answer 2

a) The mass of the dolphin can be calculated by using Newton's second law:

`F=ma`

where

F=320 N is the force experienced by the dolphin

m is the dolphin mass

`a=2.60 m/s^2` is the acceleration of the dolphin

Rearranging the equation and substituting the numbers, we find the mass of the dolphin:

`m=(F)/(a)=(320 N)/(2.60 m/s^2)=123.1 kg`

b) If the mass of the dolphin is halved, the new mass is:

`m=(123.1 kg)/(2)=61.6 kg`

And by using again Newton's second law, we can find the new acceleration of the dolphin:

`a=(F)/(m)=(320 N)/(61.6 kg)=5.2 m/s^2`

so, the acceleration is twice the original acceleration.