How Much Power is Needed to Drag a Table Across a Brick Floor?

[dgomez89]

How much power must you exert to horizontally drag a 20.0 kg table 14.0 m across a brick floor in 40.0 s at constant velocity, assuming the coefficient of kinetic friction between the table and floor is 0.600?

Homework Equations

P=F(d/t), fk=mukN

The Attempt at a Solution

P=(20.0*9.8)(14.0/40.0) fk=(0.600*20.0*9.8)
=68.6W =117.6

117.6-68.6=49W



I really do not know how to do this problem, I just tried it in a way that made some sense to me, but it's obviously wrong. PLEASE HELP!

 

[willem2]

When you drag something horizontally, you must do work to overcome the force of friction, not gravity.

your first equation P = F (d/t) tells you the power needed to push something with a force F, that's moving in the direction of that force with a constant speed v = d/t

The second equation F_k = \mu_k N tells you how big the friction is if you know the normal force N

 

[dgomez89]

So then do i need to find the work first and then whatever value I get from that use it to find the Power by using P=W/t?

 

[willem2]

You can do that, or calculate the speed first and then Power = force * speed.

The equation you gave P = F (d/t) does this all at once.

The important thing is to calculate the force you must exert first.