A pack of four Arctic wolves are exerting four different forces upon the carcass of a 500 kg dead polar bear. Wolf one is pulling on the bear with a force of 20 Newtons (N) due north. Wolf two is pulling on the bear with a force of 30 N, 30 degrees north of west. Wolf three is pulling on the bear with a force of 25 N due west, and wolf four is pulling on the bear with a force of 35 N, 10 degrees west of south. Determine the net force acting upon the polar bear and the direction of that force measured north of west. Then compute the magnitude of the acceleration of the polar bear. Wow. This much information can be scary at first but we are just going to use the techniques we have learned above and work our way through. Take a deep breath. You will be fine. Your first step should always be to draw a diagram of the situation. Do so here: (Hint: Draw this as though you are looking down on it from directly above with the bear at the origin of your coordinate system, like a two-dimensional tug-o’-war We are trying to find the length (magnitude) of the total force vector and its direction. To find the length, we will need to find the x and y components of each of the forces being exerted on the bear. Lets take it a vector at a time.

College Physics

11th Edition

ISBN:9781305952300

Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille

Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille

Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1CQ: Estimate the order of magnitude of the length, in meters, of each of the following; (a) a mouse, (b)...

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A pack of four Arctic wolves are exerting four different forces upon the carcass of a 500 kg dead
polar bear. Wolf one is pulling on the bear with a force of 20 Newtons (N) due north. Wolf two
is pulling on the bear with a force of 30 N, 30 degrees north of west. Wolf three is pulling on
the bear with a force of 25 N due west, and wolf four is pulling on the bear with a force of 35 N,
10 degrees west of south. Determine the net force acting upon the polar bear and the direction
of that force measured north of west. Then compute the magnitude of the acceleration of the
polar bear.
Wow. This much information can be scary at first but we are just going to use the techniques
we have learned above and work our way through. Take a deep breath. You will be fine.
Your first step should always be to draw a diagram of the situation. Do so here: (Hint: Draw
this as though you are looking down on it from directly above with the bear at the origin of
your coordinate system, like a two-dimensional tug-o’-war

We are trying to find the length (magnitude) of the total force vector and its direction. To find
the length, we will need to find the x and y components of each of the forces being exerted on
the bear. Lets take it a vector at a time.
Wolf One
|Fx|=
|Fy|=
Wolf Two
|Fx|=
|Fy|=
Wolf Three
|Fx|=
|Fy|=
Wolf Four
|Fx|=
|Fy|=

Now add up all of the x components: (Careful of minus signs)

Add up all of the y components: (Careful of minus signs)

Now use Pythagorean Theorem to find the magnitude of the total force vector:

What direction is the total force in?

Now find the magnitude of the acceleration by using the equation Σ|F | = m|a| and what you
know about solving for stuff

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