Forces and Hills: Calculating Force of 1967 Corvette on a 17.5° incline

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the force required to prevent a 1967 Corvette, with a mass of 1390 kg, from rolling down a 17.5° incline. The calculated force is 4096.2 N, which is confirmed by multiple participants as accurate. The participants utilized trigonometric functions, specifically fcos(θ) and fsin(θ), to resolve the forces acting on the vehicle. The final result of 4.1 kN is established as the necessary force to maintain the vehicle's position on the incline.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, specifically forces and inclines.
  • Familiarity with trigonometric functions, particularly sine and cosine.
  • Ability to draw and interpret free body diagrams.
  • Knowledge of Newton's laws of motion.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the application of trigonometric functions in physics problems.
  • Learn about free body diagram techniques for analyzing forces.
  • Explore Newton's laws of motion in greater detail.
  • Investigate real-world applications of force calculations in automotive engineering.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physics students, automotive engineers, and anyone interested in the practical applications of force calculations on inclines.

moondawg
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Homework Statement



Certain streets in San Francisco mane an angle of 17.5 degrees with the horizontal. What force is required to keep a loaded 1967 Corvette of mass 1390kg from rolling down such a street?

Homework Equations




fcosx
fsinx

The Attempt at a Solution


I drew my free body diagran and then broke it into components, Fx and Fy. I got the force to be 4096.2N. I feel like I am missing a step. Can someone please check my work!
 
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That seems right to me.
 
I get 4.1 kN as well. Looks like you did the problem correctly.
 

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