Calculating Energy Lost Due to Friction in Incline Pulling Scenario

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the mechanical energy lost due to friction when pulling a crate up an incline, the correct approach involves determining the kinetic friction force using the formula f = u_k * N, where N is the normal force. The normal force should be calculated as N = mg * cos(16.5°), not sin. The energy lost due to friction is then found by multiplying the kinetic friction force by the distance traveled (5.65 m). After correcting the calculations, the energy lost due to friction is determined to be 233.8 J. Understanding the correct application of formulas and recognizing extraneous values in the problem is crucial for accurate results.
BunDa4Th
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A crate of mass 11.0 kg is pulled up a rough incline with an initial speed of 1.50 m/s. The pulling force is 100 N parallel to the incline, which makes an angle of 16.5° with the horizontal. The coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.400, and the crate is pulled 5.65 m.

(b) How much mechanical energy is lost due to friction?

well, this is what i came up with

to find the energy lost i thought F - f

so to find f = u_kN

N = (mgsin16.5)

f = .400(30.62)

f = 12.25

100 - 12.25 = 87.75 is incorrect

what am i doing wrong?
 
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BunDa4Th said:
A crate of mass 11.0 kg is pulled up a rough incline with an initial speed of 1.50 m/s. The pulling force is 100 N parallel to the incline, which makes an angle of 16.5° with the horizontal. The coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.400, and the crate is pulled 5.65 m.

(b) How much mechanical energy is lost due to friction?

well, this is what i came up with

to find the energy lost i thought F - f

so to find f = u_kN

N = (mgsin16.5)

f = .400(30.62)

f = 12.25

100 - 12.25 = 87.75 is incorrect

what am i doing wrong?
You are forgetting the units. You are equating force to energy. The units of energy are force x distance.

The energy lost is the work added by the pulling force less the work done by the friction force.

AM
 
I don't understand what you mean. The teacher decided to skip most of the stuff on this chapter and basically i am learning this on my own and from the book i got to read which i don't understand from the reading.
 
Energy loss is simply Kinetic friction multiply by the distance travelled. To find kinetic friction, take coefficient of friction multiply by normal force acting on the block. Is the answer 23.8J? I'm not sure if I'm right also.
 
that answer is incorrect.

work done by gravity is -172.99
 
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wat is the answer?
 
the book doesn't give an answer because its an even # problem, which doesn't help me at all since i can't use any other answer to figure this one out since this is the only problem in the book that ask this.

forgot to mention this is also on an online homework I have that is how I know i been getting the wrong answer.

oh yea i mention work done by gravity because that was the first part of the problem i needed to find and thought maybe i need to use that somehow.
 
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then how u know that ur answer is wrong?
 
oops. I've forgot to add in the gravitational field strength. Is the answer 233.8J?
 
  • #10
okay, that is the correct answer.

Can you explain how you get that?
 
  • #11
wats the value for g?
 
  • #12
is g = -9.8?
 
  • #13
so 233.8J is right?
 
  • #14
yea, that is the correct answer
 
  • #15
Alright. Its just the same as how i do it in post #4. To find the energy lost due to friction, u need to take kinetic friction multiply by the distance travelled. The way u calculate normal force is wrong. It should be mgcos16.5 and not mgsin16.5. After calculating the kinetic friction, multiply it by the distance travelled, ie: 5.65 to solve for ur energy loss due to friction.

Dun get lost with the many values given in there. Just do what u need to do according to the formulas. Some of the values in the question are just there to mislead you. You dun necessarily have to use them all everytime. Cheers!
 
  • #16
ahhhhh...thanks so much. yea those other number were just there and i thought okay those number have to be there for a reason.
 
  • #17
not a problem.
 
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