We can calculate the acceleration of Cole due to friction using Newton's second law of motion:
[tex]F=ma[/tex]
where [tex]F=-50 N[/tex] is the frictional force (with a negative sign, since the force acts against the direction of motion) and m=100 kg is the mass of Cole and the sled. By rearranging the equation, we find
[tex]a= \frac{F}{m}= \frac{-50 N}{100 kg}=-0.5 m/s^2 [/tex]
Now we can use the following formula to calculate the distance covered by Cole and the sled before stopping:
[tex]a= \frac{v_f^2-v_i^2}{2d} [/tex]
where
[tex]v_f=0[/tex] is the final speed of the sled
[tex]v_i=5 m/s[/tex] is the initial speed
[tex]d[/tex] is the distance covered
By rearranging the equation, we find d:
[tex]d= \frac{v_f^2-v_i^2}{2a}= \frac{-(5 m/s)^2}{2 \cdot (-0.5 m/s^2)}=25 m [/tex]
