How Do You Calculate the Total Force on a Block on an Inclined Plane?

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the total force on a block on an inclined plane, one must apply Newton's second law and consider all acting forces, including friction and gravitational components. The block, with a mass of 7.50 kg and an acceleration of 4.35 m/s², requires a careful analysis of both vertical and horizontal forces. The user initially calculated a force of 35.99 N but was advised that the expected force should be between 80 N and 120 N. This discrepancy suggests that additional forces, particularly friction and the incline's angle, need to be factored into the calculations. A thorough breakdown of all forces acting parallel and perpendicular to the incline is essential for an accurate solution.
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Newton's second law problem; Please Help!

Block M = 7.50 kg is initially moving up the incline and is increasing speed with
a = 4.35 m/s2. The applied force F is horizontal. The coefficients of friction
between the block and incline are fs = 0:443 and fk = 0:312. The angle of the incline is
25.0 degrees.
(a) What is the force F?

So basically, I started by tilting the axes. Then, I did F=ma. I plugged 7.5 kg into m and 4.35 into a. I got 32.6 N. Then, I took 32.6/cos(25) to get the horizontal component of force. My answer was 35.99 N. It says that my answer should be around 80 N to 120 N. What did I do wrong? Please Help.
 
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To apply Newton's 2nd law you must consider all the forces. What other forces act parallel to the incline?

Hint: You'll need to analyze both vertical and horizontal force components.
 
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