To avoid an accident, a driver with a mass of 60 kg applies his brakes and decelerates from 30 m/s to 1 m/s in 2 seconds. How much force was absorbed by his seat belt?

To solve this problem, we need to use the second law of motion, which states that the force exerted on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by the acceleration of the object.

Step 1: Calculate the change in velocity The initial velocity (v1) is 30 m/s and the final velocity (v2) is 1 m/s. The change in velocity (Δv) is v2 - v1 = 1 m/s - 30 m/s = -29 m/s.

Step 2: Calculate the acceleration Acceleration (a) is the change in velocity divided by the time it takes for the change to occur. In this case, the time (t) is 2 seconds. So, a = Δv / t = -29 m/s / 2 s = -14.5 m/s². The negative sign indicates that this is a deceleration.

Step 3: Calculate the force The force (F) is the mass (m) of the driver times the acceleration. So, F = m * a = 60 kg * -14.5 m/s² = -870 N. The negative sign indicates that the force is acting in the opposite direction of the motion.

Step 4: Calculate the force absorbed by the seat belt The force absorbed by the seat belt is equal to the force exerted on the driver, but in the opposite direction. So, the force absorbed by the seat belt is 870 N.