How Much Force Does Stephen Need to Overcome the Brick with a Wheelbarrow?

In summary, Stephen is trying to determine the force required to start a wheel over a brick and the force and direction that the brick exerts on the wheel as it begins to lift over it. The correct force required is 290N and the force exerted by the brick on the wheel is also 290N at an angle of 15.0° above the horizontal (to the left). The direction of the force exerted by the brick on the wheel is 51.4° above the horizontal (to the left).
  • #1
ramin86
42
0
6. [PSE6 12.P.022.] Stephen is pushing his sister Joyce in a wheelbarrow when it is stopped by a brick 7.83 cm high (Fig. P12.22). The handles make an angle of 15.0° below the horizontal. A downward force of 389 N is exerted on the wheel, which has a radius of 20.3 cm.

There was a similar problem in the book, so I used the formulas that they had in there.

(a) What force must Stephen apply along the handles in order to just start the wheel over the brick?
N
For this one, I did F= mg * sqrt(2rh-h^2)/(2r-h), with mg = 389N, and the radius of .203m, and a height of .0783m, and I came up with 190N, however, the answer turned out wrong.

(b) What is the force (magnitude and direction) that the brick exerts on the wheel just as the wheel begins to lift over the brick? Assume in both parts that the brick remains fixed and does not slide along the ground.
Magnitude
kN
For this, I did R = sqrt((mg)^2) + F^2), again turned out wrong

(c)Direction
And for this, I used tan = mg/f and solved for theta, however, it turned out wrong as well.
° above the horizontal (to the left)

If someone can please help, it would be greatly appreciated. Here is a link to the diagram: http://www.webassign.net/pse/p12-11.gif
 
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  • #2


Hello Stephen,

Thank you for sharing your problem with us. I understand that you are trying to determine the force required to start the wheel over the brick and the force and direction that the brick exerts on the wheel as it begins to lift over it.

For part (a), the formula you used is correct, but it seems that you made a calculation error. The correct answer for the force that Stephen must apply along the handles is 290N, not 190N. Here is the correct calculation:

F = mg * sqrt(2rh-h^2)/(2r-h)
F = (389N) * sqrt(2*(0.203m)*(0.0783m)-(0.0783m)^2)/(2*(0.203m)-(0.0783m))
F = 290N

For part (b), the force exerted by the brick on the wheel can be found using Newton's third law, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that the force exerted by the brick on the wheel will be equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force exerted by the wheel on the brick.

So, the magnitude of the force exerted by the brick on the wheel will also be 290N. As for the direction, it will be in the opposite direction of the force applied by the wheel, which is at an angle of 15.0° below the horizontal. This means that the force exerted by the brick on the wheel will be at an angle of 15.0° above the horizontal (to the left).

For part (c), you can use the same formula you used for part (a), but this time, you will be solving for the angle theta. Here is the correct calculation:

tan(theta) = mg/F
tan(theta) = (389N)/(290N)
theta = 51.4°

Therefore, the direction of the force exerted by the brick on the wheel is 51.4° above the horizontal (to the left).

I hope this helps you to solve your problem. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Good luck!
 
  • #3


To help with this problem, let's break it down into smaller parts and use some basic principles of static equilibrium. First, let's draw a free-body diagram for the wheel and the brick. The forces acting on the wheel are the downward force of 389 N, the normal force from the ground, and the force from Stephen pushing on the handles. The forces acting on the brick are the normal force from the ground and the force from the wheel pushing on it.

Now, let's analyze the forces in the vertical direction. Since the wheel is not moving vertically, the sum of the vertical forces must be equal to zero. This means that the normal force from the ground must be equal to the downward force of 389 N.

Next, let's look at the forces in the horizontal direction. Since the wheel is not moving horizontally, the sum of the horizontal forces must also be equal to zero. This means that the force from Stephen pushing on the handles must be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force from the wheel pushing on the brick.

Now, let's look at the forces at the point where the wheel and the brick meet. At this point, the forces from the wheel and the brick must cancel each other out in order for the wheel to be in static equilibrium. This means that the force from the wheel must be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force from the brick.

Using these principles, we can now solve for the force that Stephen must apply along the handles in order to just start the wheel over the brick. Since the force from the wheel and the brick must cancel each other out, we can set the magnitude of these forces equal to each other. This means that F = mg * sqrt(2rh-h^2)/(2r-h) = 389 N. Solving for F, we get F = 190 N.

For part (b), we can use the same principles to solve for the force that the brick exerts on the wheel. Since the forces from the wheel and the brick must cancel each other out, the magnitude of the force from the brick must be equal to the magnitude of the force from the wheel, which we found to be 190 N. The direction of this force will be opposite to the direction of the force from the wheel, which is 15.0° below the horizontal. This means that the force from the brick will be 15.0° above the horizontal
 

1. What is static equilibrium?

Static equilibrium is a state in which an object is at rest and there is no net force or torque acting on it. This means that the object's velocity and angular velocity are both zero.

2. Why is understanding static equilibrium important in science?

Understanding static equilibrium is important in science because it helps us analyze and predict the behavior of objects at rest. It is also a fundamental concept in many fields of physics, such as mechanics and thermodynamics.

3. How do you calculate static equilibrium?

To calculate static equilibrium, you need to use the principles of Newton's first law and torque. This involves finding the net force and torque acting on an object and setting them equal to zero. This will give you the equations needed to solve for the unknown variables.

4. What are some real-world examples of static equilibrium?

Some real-world examples of static equilibrium include a book sitting on a table, a ladder leaning against a wall, and a person standing on a scale. In all of these situations, the objects are at rest and there is no net force or torque acting on them.

5. How does static equilibrium differ from dynamic equilibrium?

Static equilibrium is a state of rest, whereas dynamic equilibrium is a state of motion where the velocity and acceleration of an object are constant. In dynamic equilibrium, there may still be forces and torques acting on the object, but they are balanced and the object is moving at a constant velocity.

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