A 50.0 kg object is moving at 18.2 m/s when a 200 N force is applied opposite the direction of the objects motion, causing it to slow down to 12.6 m/s. How long was this force applies?

t = 1.4[s]

Explanation:

To solve this problem we must use the principle of conservation of linear momentum, which tells us that momentum is conserved before and after applying a force to a body. We must remember that the impulse can be calculated by means of the following equation.

where:

P = impulse or lineal momentum [kg*m/s]

m = mass = 50 [kg]

v = velocity [m/s]

F = force = 200[N]

t = time = [s]

Now we must be clear that the final linear momentum must be equal to the original linear momentum plus the applied momentum. In this way we can deduce the following equation.

where:

m₁ = mass of the object = 50 [kg]

v₁ = velocity of the object before the impulse = 18.2 [m/s]

v₂ = velocity of the object after the impulse = 12.6 [m/s]