Calculating the Work done from an Incline with Friction Problem

In summary, a father is pushing his daughter's sled up a snowy incline with a mass of 35 kg and a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.20. The sled and girl have a total mass of 35 kg and the incline has a height of 3.6 m and an angle of 15°. To calculate the work done by the father, equations for net force in the y and x directions are used, taking into account the normal force and friction force. The incorrect calculation of the normal force is addressed and the correct approach is explained.
  • #1
Iconic
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0
Problem:
A father pushes horizontally on his daughter's sled to move it up a snowy incline, as illustrated in the figure, with h = 3.6m and θ = 15°. The total mass of the sled and the girl is 35 kg and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the sled runners and the snow is 0.20. If the sled moves up the hill with a constant velocity, how much work is done by the father in moving it from the bottom to the top of the hill?

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Equations Used:

Forcenet Y components ƩFy= N-mgcosθ=0-(due to constant velocity)
So...
Normal Force Fn= mgcosθ
And since...
Friction Force Ff= (μ)kFn
So...
Friction Force Ff= (μ)k(mgcosθ)

Forcenet X components ƩFx= -mgsinθ-(μ)k(mgcosθ)

The Attempt at a Solution



Before I go any further with solving this problem I need to know how to use the applied Force from the father in this problem. I'm 100% certain my ƩFx is incorrect and was hoping someone could explain how I should fix this.
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
Iconic said:
Before I go any further with solving this problem I need to know how to use the applied Force from the father in this problem. I'm 100% certain my ƩFx is incorrect and was hoping someone could explain how I should fix this.

Yes, ##ƩF_{x}## is incorrect because you calculated Normal force incorrectly. Since ##F## (force by father) is acting horizontally, you'll have to take component perpendicular to the plane into account while calculating ##ƩF_{y}##
 

What is the equation for calculating work done from an incline with friction?

The equation for calculating work done from an incline with friction is W = Fdcosθ, where W represents work, F represents the force applied, d represents the distance moved, and θ represents the angle between the force and the displacement.

How do you calculate the force applied in an incline with friction problem?

The force applied can be calculated using the equation F = mg(sinθ + μcosθ), where m represents the mass of the object, g represents the acceleration due to gravity, θ represents the angle of the incline, and μ represents the coefficient of friction.

What is the difference between kinetic and static friction?

Kinetic friction is the force that resists the movement of an object over a surface, while static friction is the force that keeps an object at rest on a surface. In an incline with friction problem, kinetic friction is used to calculate the work done while the object is moving, while static friction is used to calculate the minimum force needed to start the object's motion.

How does the angle of the incline affect the work done in an incline with friction problem?

The angle of the incline affects the work done in an incline with friction problem because it determines the component of the force that is acting in the direction of motion. The smaller the angle, the larger the component of the force and the greater the work done. Conversely, as the angle increases, the component of the force decreases and the work done decreases.

What is the significance of the coefficient of friction in an incline with friction problem?

The coefficient of friction is a measure of the roughness or smoothness of the surface and affects the amount of friction present in a system. In an incline with friction problem, a higher coefficient of friction means more resistance to motion and therefore more work done to overcome it.

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