Problem 4.5: A buoy is dropped into a lake


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A 0.010-kg buoy is dropped into a lake as shown in the animation. Before it hits the water, it is in free fall. Restart.

  1. Before the buoy hits the water, what is the net force on the buoy?
  2. At t = 1.2 s, what is the net force on the buoy?
  3. At t = 1.2 s, what is the force of the water on the buoy?
  4. At t = 4.5 s, what is the net force on the buoy? Approximately, what is the velocity of the buoy at this instant? Can the velocity of an object be zero even though the net force on the object is not zero?
  5. At t = 4.5 s, what is the force of the water on the buoy?
  6. At t = 11.0 s, what is the net force on the buoy?
  7. At t = 11.0 s, what is the force of the water on the buoy?
  8. Describe the velocity of the buoy at this instant (t = 11.0 s); is it increasing, decreasing, or constant?

Problem authored by Aaron Titus.


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