Serway & Jewett — Circular Motion and Other Applications of Newton's Laws: Problem 14

An object of mass \(m = 5.00\text{ kg}\), attached to a spring scale, rests on a frictionless, horizontal surface as shown in Figure P6.14. The spring scale, attached to the front end of a boxcar, reads zero when the car is at rest. (a) Determine the acceleration of the car if the spring scale has a constant reading of \(18.0\text{ N}\) when the car is in motion. (b) What constant reading will the spring scale show if the car moves with constant velocity? Describe the forces on the object as observed (c) by someone in the car and (d) by someone at rest outside the car.