Work done on a shopping cart by friction when being pushed

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on calculating the work done by friction on a grocery cart being pushed at constant speed. The cart has a mass of 19.3 kg, and the applied force is 13.1 N at an angle of 18.3 degrees. Participants suggest starting with a force diagram to clarify the forces at play, particularly focusing on the friction force derived from the coefficient of friction. The calculations involve determining the normal force and then using it to find the kinetic friction force, which is then multiplied by the distance of 15.1 m. The final answer for the work done by friction is noted as 188 J, indicating the importance of correctly applying the physics principles involved.
juju1

Homework Statement


A grocery cart with mass of 19.3 kg is pushed at constant speed along an aisle by a shopper who exerts a force of 13.1 N on the cart at an angle of 18.3 from the horizontal. The aisle is 15.1 m long. The coefficient of friction is 0.0658.

Find the work done on the cart by friction.

Homework Equations


W=Force x displacement

The Attempt at a Solution



so I tried finding Force, and i did that by multiplying (19.3kg) by gravity (9.8)
and then multiplied that to 0.0658 to get friction force

and then multiplied that by 15.1
and then multiplied that by cos(18.3)

but it was wrong...
 
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You should start by drawing a force diagram and labeling what you know.
 
so i drew a diagram, f= Fcos(theta)

so f=12.4
and then multiply that by the distance, 15.1

and final answer is 188 J
 
juju1 said:
so I tried finding Force, and i did that by multiplying (19.3kg) by gravity (9.8)
and then multiplied that to 0.0658 to get friction force
To get the force of kinetic friction, the coefficient should be multiplied by what, exactly?
 
Please upload the diagram.
 

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