What is the Normal Force Acting on a Chair with a Box on a Slanted Slope?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the normal force acting on a chair supporting a box on a slanted slope. The normal force exerted by the floor on the chair is determined by the weight components of the box and the chair, specifically expressed as m1gcosθ for the box, m2g for the slope, and m3g for the chair. The participants confirm that the cascading forces approach is valid for analyzing the system, emphasizing the importance of free body diagrams (FBDs) in visualizing the forces involved. The complexity of the forces involved necessitates careful consideration of both x and y components.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Familiarity with free body diagrams (FBDs)
  • Knowledge of vector decomposition in physics
  • Basic concepts of gravitational force (m*g)
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principles of static equilibrium in physics
  • Learn how to draw and analyze free body diagrams (FBDs)
  • Explore the effects of inclined planes on force calculations
  • Investigate the concept of normal force in various contexts
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators teaching mechanics, and anyone interested in understanding forces acting on objects on inclined planes.

BSCS
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I'm trying to think up situations that will help me understand more complicated situations...

Let's say I have:

a box
on a slanted slope
on a chair
on the floor

The floor exerts a normal force on the chair. But, equal to what?

is it:

a box m_{1}gcos\theta

on a slanted slope m_{2}g

on a chair m_{3}g

on the floor

Is it the sum of these?

Also, would motion of the box along the inclined plane affect the result? It would seem to be "no".
 
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Have you tried drawing a FBD?
 
Yes, and it/they were getting complex, so I wanted to get some feedback. I came up with the force exerted down on the chair as having an x component and a y component (different from what I posted). From there I was thinking I could apply that vector to the FBD of the chair and come up with my answer. Is such a "cascading of forces" approach correct?
 
BSCS said:
Yes, and it/they were getting complex, so I wanted to get some feedback. I came up with the force exerted down on the chair as having an x component and a y component (different from what I posted). From there I was thinking I could apply that vector to the FBD of the chair and come up with my answer. Is such a "cascading of forces" approach correct?
Yes, from what I understand you to have described that is correct. Perhaps if you posted you FBD's we could comment further.
 
BSCS said:
Let's say I have:

a box
on a slanted slope
on a chair
on the floor

The floor exerts a normal force on the chair. But, equal to what?

is it:

a box m_{1}gcos\theta

on a slanted slope m_{2}g

on a chair m_{3}g

on the floor

Is it the sum of these?
Huh? Are you describing one situation (a box on a chair which is on a slanted slope?) or multiple situations? What are those masses?
 

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