Mechanics: Newton's Laws of Motion

Newton's Laws of Motion: Audio Guided Solution

Problem 5:

The rising concern among athletic trainers and health advocates (and parents) regarding concussions and multiple concussions among high school football players has prompted numerous studies of the effectiveness of protective head gear and the forces and accelerations experienced by players. One study suggested that there is a 50% chance of concussions for impacts rated at 75 g's of acceleration (i.e., 75 multiplied by 9.8 m/s/s). (The average head impact results in 22 to 24 g's of acceleration.) If a player's head mass (with helmet) is 6.0 kg and considered to be a free body, then what net force would be required to produce an acceleration of 75 g's?

Audio Guided Solution

Habits of an Effective Problem Solver

• Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
• Identify the known and unknown quantities in an organized manner. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., v_o = 0 m/s; a = 4.2 m/s/s; v_f = 22.9 m/s; d = ???.
• Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
• Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
• Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.

Read About It!

Get more information on the topic of Newton's Laws of Motion at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.

• Newton's Second Law

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