A parachutist relies on air resistance (mainly on her parachute)to decrease her

Question

A parachutist relies on air resistance (mainly on her parachute)to decrease her downward velocity. She and her parachute have amass of 45.8 kg and air resistance exerts a total upward force of862 N on her and her parachute. What is the magnitude of theacceleration of the parachutist?

Give your answer in m/s2 to the first decimalplace.

Computer system says the correct answer = 9 m/s^2 (I just needhelp on how to work out this problem step by step.)

Explanation / Answer

We can write           mg - F =ma ==> a = [ mg - F ] / m            = [ 45.8 * 9.8 - 862 ] / 45.8            = - 9.02 m/s2 ( here negative sign indicatesthe retardation of acceleration)

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