Friction Force on a System at Rest

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the friction force on a system at rest involving two blocks, one weighing 3 kg and the other 5 kg. The calculations reveal that the static friction force, denoted as fs, is determined to be 38N based on the forces acting on the blocks. However, discrepancies arise as the maximum static friction force for the 5 kg block is calculated to be only 20N, leading to confusion regarding the problem's parameters. The conclusion suggests a potential typo in the problem statement regarding the weight of the blocks.

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odie5533
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Homework Statement


http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/2514/diagramfn4.png

The Attempt at a Solution


[tex]\sum F_{x} = w_{x} - T = m_{x}a[/tex]
[tex]T = (6.9)g - (6.9)a[/tex]

[tex]\sum F_{a} = T - w_{a} - f_{s} = m_{a}a[/tex]
[tex]T - m_{a}g - m_{a}a = f_{s}[/tex]
[tex](6.9g - 6.9a) - m_{a}g - m_{a}a = f_{s}[/tex]
I don't see a 5kg block with friction, but I do see a 3kg block with friction:
[tex]6.9g - 6.9a - 3g - 3a = f_{s}[/tex]
[tex]3.9g - 9.9a = f_{s}[/tex]

Since the system is at rest, [tex]a = 0[/tex]
[tex]38N = f_{s}[/tex]
So the answer is B

But I have two problems with my answer:
1) [tex]f_{s-max} = (0.40)(50) = 20N < 38N[/tex] in my answer
2) Using the "5kg" block, [tex]f_{s} = 19N[/tex]

Am I missing something?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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Looks to me like the 3 kg was a typo and they meant to write 5 kg. (Otherwise the problem doesn't work, as you point out.)
 

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