How can I calculate the work needed to pull a toboggan up an inclined hill?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the work required to pull a toboggan up an inclined hill, involving concepts of work, energy, and gravitational potential energy. The problem specifies a scenario with a child pulling a toboggan up a hill with given masses and an angle of incline.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply the work formula but questions the accuracy of their calculations and the interpretation of variables. Participants raise questions about the meaning of distance in the context of the problem and suggest considering gravitational potential energy as a simpler approach.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with some participants providing hints and guidance without reaching a consensus. The original poster acknowledges a misunderstanding in their approach, indicating a productive direction in the conversation.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of negligible friction and a specific vertical height, which may influence the calculations. The original poster's confusion about the distance variable in the work formula is noted as a point of discussion.

ka7
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[SOLVED] Work and energy

Hello, I've been having difficulty with this question...

Homework Statement



A 25.6kg child pulls a 4.81kg toboggan up a hill inclined at 25.7° to the horizontal. The vertical height of the hill is 27.3 m. Friction is negligible. Determine how much work the child must do on the toboggan to pull it at a constant velocity up the hill.



Homework Equations



W=FD COS (ANGLE)

The Attempt at a Solution



I tried using the equation above...and i tried adding the masses ...I got the wrong answer. The force, I used F=mg
w=mgd cos (angle)
=(4.81) (9.8) (27.3) cos (25.7)
=1.15 x 10^3 J
the answer 1.29 x 10^3 J but I'm not geting that...:confused:
 
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Welcome to the forums ka7,

HINT: What is the change in gravitational potential energy of the toboggan? (Much easier :wink:)
 
You should recheck what the D in your formula means. It is presumably NOT the vertical height of the hill.
 
Thanks, i figured out what i was doing wrong:smile:
 

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