Calculating Force and Magnitude of Pulling 400kg Cart up Hill

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The discussion focuses on calculating the force exerted on a person pulling a 400 kg cart up a hill with a force of 10 N. According to Newton's Third Law, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, meaning the cart exerts an equal force of 10 N back on the person. The misconception that the force exerted by the cart is 4000 N is clarified, emphasizing the correct application of Newton's principles in this scenario.

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1. A person is pulling a heavy cart up a hill. The cart has 400 kg of mass inside it. The person is pulling the cart with 10 N of force. What is the magnitude of the force on the person due to the cart?


3. Is it 4000N?
 
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What does Newtons third law say about people exerting a force on a cart?
 
CWatters said:
What does Newtons third law say about people exerting a force on a cart?

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
 
Correct.

The question states that the person exerts a force of 10N on the cart so apply Newtons third law to work out how much force the cart exerts on the person.
 
Thanks!
 

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