# Homework Help: What is the force being applied to the box?

1. Oct 17, 2004

### ms. confused

Hi! Is anyone willing to help me with this friction problem?

A box having a mass of 1.5kg is accelerated across a table at 1.5m/s². The coefficient of friction on the box is 0.3. What is the force being applied to the box?

2. Oct 17, 2004

### Pyrrhus

Use Newton's 2nd Law

$$\sum_{i=1}^{n} \vec{F}_{i} = m \vec{a}$$

and remember

$$F_{f} = \mu N$$

3. Oct 17, 2004

### ms. confused

What do I do with the friction formula?

4. Oct 17, 2004

### Pyrrhus

Do you know what's the Normal force?

5. Oct 17, 2004

### ms. confused

Apparently Normal force is equal to Gravitational force so 1.5kg x 9.8m/s² is 14.7N. That should be the Normal force right?

6. Oct 17, 2004

### Pyrrhus

Yes, so

Do because there's only acceleration on the x-axis do the forces analysis there.

$$F_{applied} - F_{f} = ma$$

7. Oct 17, 2004

### ms. confused

Do I move everything to one side of the equation to make it equal to zero?

8. Oct 17, 2004

### Pyrrhus

Why would you do that?

Isn't your unknown F applied?

$$F_{applied} = ma + F_{f}$$

Mass is known, acceleration is known, $\mu$ is known, and the Normal force is known (so Friction force is known).

9. Oct 17, 2004

### ms. confused

Ooooooh! Gotcha! Right! Thanks a million!

Share this great discussion with others via Reddit, Google+, Twitter, or Facebook