Question

Question 7 (c)
A 8000 kg engine pulls a train of 5 wagons, each of 2000 kg, along a horizontal track. If the engine exerts a force of 40000 N and the track offers a friction force of 5000 N, then calculate:
(c) the force of wagon 1 on wagon 2.

Answer 1

(c) Mass of all the wagons except wagon 1 is 4$\times$2000 = 8000 kg
Acceleration of the wagons = 3.5 $m{s}^{-2}$
Thus, force exerted on all the wagons except wagon 1 = 8000$\times$3.5 = 28000 N
Therefore, the force exerted by wagon 1 on the remaining four wagons is 28000​ N.
Hence, the force exerted by wagon 1 on wagon 2 is 28000 ​N.