Students are running an experiment to determine the mass of a block without using a scale. The students set up a block on a horizontal surface of negligible friction. They then attach a force sensor to the block that is at rest. The sensor is then used to exert a force on the block, moving it along a straight line. The force exerted as a function of time is shown in the graph above. At time t = 12s, the block is moving at v = 1.5 m/s.
(a) i. Explain how the students could use the graph to estimate the impulse exerted on the block.
ii. Calculate the estimated impulse exerted on the block for the time interval 0 to 12 seconds.
(b) Calculate the mass of the block.
(c) When t = 12 s, the force sensor loses contact with the block, which continues to move along the horizontal surface. When t = 20s, the block encounters a rough area and comes to rest in 25 cm. On the (second) graph below, sketch a graph of the speed of the block as a function of time.