How to calculate force on stationary wall?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the force applied by a person on a stationary wall, exploring various factors that influence this force, including friction, body position, and specific scenarios. Participants seek to clarify the method for determining this force in different contexts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about the specific situation being analyzed to provide a relevant method for calculating the force.
  • One participant suggests that the force applied can vary significantly based on the individual's strength and stability when pushing against the wall.
  • Another participant calculates the normal force and friction force based on a given mass and coefficient of friction, but notes that the force can be influenced by the direction of the push.
  • It is mentioned that the inclination of the body affects the distribution of forces, particularly when pushing against an object.
  • A scenario involving a box on a surface with friction is introduced to explore how different horizontal pushes yield different results, prompting further inquiry into the forces acting on the box.
  • One participant shares a practical application related to calculating forces on handrails of footbridges, discussing methods used in their own experience.
  • A reference to a military study is provided, which discusses maximal isometric horizontal push forces and factors influencing push capability.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on how to approach the calculation of force, with no consensus reached on a single method or conclusion. Multiple competing views remain regarding the factors that influence the force applied to the wall.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that additional information is often required to make accurate calculations, such as the specific conditions of the push and the body position. There are also assumptions made regarding the absence of vertical components in some calculations.

Jehangeer Raza
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What is the right method to calculate force the that is
applied (by human) on the stationy wall?
 
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You'll need to be a bit more specific. What is the situation you are analyzing?
 
Me (Mr.Raza) apply froce on the wall then how i calculate that applied force
 
Jehangeer Raza said:
Me (Mr.Raza) apply froce on the wall then how i calculate that applied force
Unless there are more details, it doesn't sound like there is sufficient data to calculate the force. After all, I can push a wall with all my might (thanks to friction between my shoes and the floor) or I can just lightly touch the wall.

You might be able to measure the force, given the right equipment.
 
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For example if my mass is 60kg and co-efficient of friction is .5 then please calculate the force
 
Jehangeer Raza said:
For example if my mass is 60kg and co-efficient of friction is .5 then please calculate the force
Not enough information.
 
Please sir give me an example such that i completely understand it.
 
Let's take a side trip for a moment. It sounds like you want to learn how to solve a certain kind of problem. True? If so, give me an example of the exact problem you are trying to solve.
 
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If you are standing up and pressing with one hand on the wall then force can be from nothing up to the limit of the force that you can apply .

The limit on the force that you can apply is set by your strength and by your stability .

Stability relates to how much force you can apply before you start pushing yourself away from the wall .
 
  • #10
Jehangeer Raza said:
For example if my mass is 60kg and co-efficient of friction is .5
Then, the reaction is N = mg; N = 600 N (g ≈ 10 m/s2). This is a vertical force.
The friction is Ff = μN; Ff = 300 N. This force is horizontal.

Jehangeer Raza, when you push the wall, is your force horizontal or vertical?
 
  • #11
Horizental force
 
  • #12
Irene Kaminkowa said:
Then, the reaction is N = mg; N = 600 N (g ≈ 10 m/s2).
This assumes that the force against the wall has no vertical component.

Irene Kaminkowa said:
The friction is Ff = μN; Ff = 300 N. This force is horizontal.
This would be the maximum friction force possible (given the assumption of a purely horizontal push against the wall).
 
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  • #13
Inclination of the body matters in this calculation . Distribution of forces is different depending on whether body is upright , leaning forward or leaning backwards .

You will have seen people trying to move a stalled vehicle by pushing from behind . They intuitively lean forward at quite a steep angle so as to be able to generate maximum pushing force and obtain maximum footing reaction force before slipping .
 
  • #14
Jehangeer Raza, let's have a look at the following situation.
Consider a box on a surface with friction. When you try pushing it with different forces, you obtain different results.
Assume, the parameters are the same, m = 60 kg, μ = 0.5 - for the motionless box. I add another value: μm = 0.3 - for the moving box.
Can you tell, what forces act on the box if your horizontal push is 100, 200, 300, 400 N?
 
  • #15
The question is interesting and useful. One practical application could be calculating the force exerted on the handrails of footbridges. Given the width of the footbridge and the height of the rail, one could calculate the probable force exerted on the rail by making certain assumptions as to angle of the body and, if desired, any momentum effects. On our footbridge construction I simple took a bathroom scale, held it at railing height and pushed against it. Adding a safety factor of three gave me a stress design factor. That was fifteen years ago and so far no one has tested the rail by falling against it.
 
  • #16
Trust the military to know..
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/720252.pdf

"Horizontal Static Forces Exerted By Men Standing In Common Working Positions On Surfaces Of Various Tractions Including Coefficients Of Friction Between Various Floor And Shoe Materials"

K. H. E. Kroemer, et al
Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
January 1971

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to measure maximal isometric horizontal push forces. Twenty-eight male subjects pushed forward with both hands, laterally with the preferred shoulder, and with their backs. Reaction force for body stabilization was provided by a vertical wall, a footrest, or by floor-shoe combinations with coefficients of static friction of approximately 1.0, 0.6, and 0.3. Means, standard deviations, and 5th percentiles of the exerted forces are reported. In comparing the experimental data with results previously published, it is concluded that body weight cannot serve as a reliable predictor for push forte capability from floors of various tractions. Estimates for static horizontal push as well as pull force capabilities of one or several men are tabulated in relation to traction available to the operator. An appendix contains coefficients of static friction between nineteen floor materials and eight shoe materials.
 
  • #17
CWatters said:
Trust the military to know
Cool )

I believe, this kind of experiments must be conducted by manufacturers of army/sports footear. To win tenders.
 

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