The discussion revolves around calculating the normal forces acting on a crate and a person standing on it, involving a 41 kg crate and a 67 kg person. The problem is situated within the context of introductory physics, specifically focusing on forces and normal force calculations.
Some participants have provided guidance on drawing diagrams and checking calculations. There is an acknowledgment of potential inaccuracies due to the choice of gravitational acceleration, and a mix of interpretations regarding the precision of answers is evident.
There is mention of homework rules regarding the specification of units and the use of approximations for gravitational acceleration, which may affect the accuracy of the results.
You should always specify units (unless instructed otherwise).Pizza Dave said:a. 1080
b. 670
Both values are just approximations. Often students are told to use 10 ms-2. On the other hand, if it is approximated to 10 then, logically, the answers should only be given to the same precision, e.g. 1100 N for (a).carl_loves_math said:it looks like you substituted 10 for the force of gravity instead of the actual value of 9.8.