Dot product wagon incline

In summary, the work done in pulling the wagon 100 ft up an incline with a 30 degree angle from the horizontal and a force of 30 pounds at a 30 degree angle from the incline can be calculated by multiplying the force applied along the surface of the incline (20cos30) by the distance (100 ft), which results in 1000sqrt(3). This is equivalent to removing the incline and calculating the work done with a force of 20 pounds at a 30 degree angle from the horizontal and a distance of 100 ft.
  • #1
nameVoid
241
0
A person pulls a wagon up an incline that makes an angled of 30 deg with the horizontal with a force on the handle of 30 pounds which makes an angel of 30 deg with the incline find the work done in pulling the wagon 100 ft
20cos30 will be a force along the surface of the incline and since vectors are in the same direction force*distance 20cos30*100=1000sqrt(3) which is the same as if you were to remove the incline?
 
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  • #2
nameVoid said:
A person pulls a wagon up an incline that makes an angled of 30 deg with the horizontal with a force on the handle of 30 pounds which makes an angel of 30 deg with the incline find the work done in pulling the wagon 100 ft
20cos30 will be a force along the surface of the incline and since vectors are in the same direction force*distance 20cos30*100=1000sqrt(3) which is the same as if you were to remove the incline?

Do you know about punctuation? Without punctuation it's much more difficult to parse what you have written.

The force applied is NOT in the same direction as the wagon is moving.
 
  • #3
20lbs 30 degrees
 
  • #4
The pulling force is being applied at an angle (not angel) of 60 degrees to the horizontal.
 
  • #5
I would also suppose taking the force vector to be <10,10sqrt(3)>=a and the distance vector <50sqrt(3),50>=b
work= a*b =500sqrt(3)+500sqrt(3)=1000sqrt(3)
but taking the force vector along the incline to be 20cos30 and the distance 100 ft along the incline gives the same results
 
  • #6
How did you get 20 cos(30 deg)?
 

1. What is the dot product in relation to a wagon on an incline?

The dot product is a mathematical operation that calculates the scalar value of two vectors multiplied together. In the context of a wagon on an incline, the dot product is used to calculate the work done by the force of gravity on the wagon as it moves along the incline.

2. How is the dot product used to calculate work on an incline?

The dot product is used in the formula W = F * d * cos(theta), where W is the work done, F is the force applied, d is the displacement, and theta is the angle between the force and displacement vectors. In the case of a wagon on an incline, the force of gravity is the applied force and the displacement is the distance the wagon travels along the incline.

3. Can the dot product be negative when calculating work on an incline?

Yes, the dot product can be negative when calculating work on an incline. This occurs when the angle between the force of gravity and the displacement vector is greater than 90 degrees, resulting in a negative cosine value. This means that the force of gravity is acting against the direction of motion, causing negative work to be done.

4. How does the angle of the incline affect the dot product in relation to work?

The angle of the incline affects the dot product in relation to work by changing the value of the cosine in the formula W = F * d * cos(theta). As the incline becomes steeper, the angle between the force of gravity and the displacement vector increases, resulting in a smaller cosine value and, therefore, less work being done.

5. Is the dot product the only way to calculate work on an incline?

No, the dot product is not the only way to calculate work on an incline. Other methods, such as using the formula W = mgh, where m is the mass of the wagon, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the vertical height of the incline, can also be used to calculate work. However, the dot product is a more accurate and precise method as it takes into account the direction of the force and displacement vectors.

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