Calculating force with only mass and distance known

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SUMMARY

To calculate the force applied to a block with a known mass and surface area, additional information is essential, particularly the acceleration or the method of applying pressure. The discussion emphasizes that without knowing the acceleration or the direction of movement, it is impossible to determine the force accurately. Participants suggest providing a detailed description of the experimental setup, including a proper drawing, to facilitate better assistance.

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Say I have a block with a known mass and surface area. If I apply an unknown force to the block and it travels a known distance how can I calculate the applied force. It seems simple if I had a known acceleration but I do not.
PLEASE HELP!
 
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You simply do not have enough information.
 
What other information would i need?
 
As AJ said not enough information is given. is this a example, if so can you type it up, or up load it?
 
Basically i have a block that is set on a peg 3.5" off of the ground. We apply a unknown pressure to it and see how far it travels. I need to find out what the force applied to the block is. How can i calculate this. If i do not have enough info what other info do i need?
 
It still isn't clear what you mean.

'Set on a peg' could mean anyone of a number of scenarios.

How are you applying pressure? Do you know what exactly the word pressure actually means in physics? Or do you mean a force?

'See how far it travels' - In which direction, up? down? sideways?

You will need to explain in careful detail exactly what your experiment looks like if we are to help you. A proper drawing would be helpful (Not some hasty scribble - do it carefully).
 

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