Friction Force exerted on an object

[RaeZ]

Homework Statement

A man is exerting a force of 200 N on a refrigerator and pushing the fridge across a rough floor at a constant velocity to the right.
How much friction force acts on the refrigerator ? Give a number and appropriate units.

Homework Equations

none

The Attempt at a Solution

I think that the friction force exerted by the floor would be equal to the man's exerted force on the refrigerator, but at the same time I know that the force exerted by the man and the friction force exerted by the floor are not an action/reaction pair, so I am not sure that they would be equal.

 

[Chestermiller]

Action-reaction pairs have nothing to do with the answer to this problem. Have you drawn a free body diagram on the refrigerator, showing the horizontal forces acting on it?

Chet

 

[RaeZ]

Action-reaction pairs have nothing to do with the answer to this problem. Have you drawn a free body diagram on the refrigerator, showing the horizontal forces acting on it?

Chet

I was given a diagram (below) and told the force exerted by the man on the refrigerator is 200 N. In this case the man is A and the refrigerator is B

 

[Chestermiller]

Who says that forces that are not action-reaction pairs can't be equal? I still don't see your free body diagram showing only the refrigerator, with the forces acting on it.

 

[RaeZ]

Who says that forces that are not action-reaction pairs can't be equal? I still don't see your free body diagram showing only the refrigerator, with the forces acting on it.

If I know that there is no acceleration, can I use Newton's second law to conclude that the friction force is equal to the force enacted upon the fridge by the man?

 

[Chestermiller]

If I know that there is no acceleration, can I use Newton's second law to conclude that the friction force is equal to the force enacted upon the fridge by the man?

Sure

 

[RaeZ]

Sure

Thank you!