Friction Force Help: Solving Problem 1

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on solving a physics problem involving a crate being dragged across a floor, focusing on calculating the minimum force needed to start moving the crate and the initial acceleration once it is in motion. The user initially calculated the force required for part (a) as 282.23 Newtons but struggled with part (b). Another participant clarified the approach for part (b), emphasizing the need to analyze forces in both the vertical and horizontal directions, using kinetic friction for a moving object. The explanation included deriving the normal force and applying Newton's second law to find the acceleration. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding static versus kinetic friction in solving these types of problems.
adp5025
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Hello everyone,

I have have no clue on how to go about this problem here, if someone can explain how to go about these it would be great! THANK YOU ALL!

Problem 1:

A 62 kg crate is dragged across a floor by pulling on a rope attached to the crate and inclined 15° above the horizontal.
(a) If the coefficient of static friction is 0.51, what minimum force magnitude is required from the rope to start the crate moving?
(b) If µk = 0.36, what is the magnitude of the initial acceleration of the crate?
m/s2
 
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Ok so i found a) by using T = mg*u / cos x + sin x * u

yielding => 282.23 Newtons,

trying to find B) can anyone help?

EDIT: Just a little help to get me moving is good enough, PLEASE SOMEONE HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
 
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still no post ?
 
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So no ones going to help me, thanks alot
 
I think your part (a) is wrong.

Where did you get this?

T = mg*u / cos x + sin x * u
 
No question a is correct i already put it in webassign, (a online physics homework thing for college). for b i just asked my professor, it was pretty simple. Using F = ma
F = Fnet while in motion

Thanks anyway dude :smile:
 
adp5025 said:
Ok so i found a) by using T = mg*u / cos x + sin x * u

yielding => 282.23 Newtons,

trying to find B) can anyone help?

EDIT: Just a little help to get me moving is good enough, PLEASE SOMEONE HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

It strikes me as somewhat odd that you found the answer to a), but can't get b). Can I assume the T equation was something from your book? (Otherwise I can't figure out how you got it!)


b) The object has a normal force (N) and a weight (w) in the vertical direction. I took the applied force (F) to be acting up and to the right, so the friction force (f) will be acting to the left. I choose a coordinate system with +x to the right and +y upward.

As is typical with a friction problem, you will need to do the net force in the y direction, so do that first:
\sum F_y=Fsin \theta +N-w=0
So you can find N.
In the x direction we note that the box is presumed to be sliding, so we are using kinetic friction. f_k= \mu_kN so we have:
\sum F_x=Fcos \theta-f_k=ma.

Plug in for kinetic friction and the normal force and solve for a.

To do a) you basically do the same thing. The difference is that we are looking at a stationary situation, so we use static friction. Since we are looking for the minimum force required, we are using maximum static friction and a=0 in the limit. This will allow you to derive the equation you used for part a).

-Dan
 
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