The man should apply a pulling force of 141.6 N to create an upward acceleration of 1.20 m/s² for the combined mass of the man and the platform.
How to determine the pulling force the man should apply
To determine the pulling force the man should apply to create an upward acceleration of 1.20 m/s² for the combined mass of the man and the platform, use Newton's second law of motion.
Newton's second law states that the force applied to an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration:
Force = mass * acceleration
Given:
Total mass of the man plus the platform = 118 kg
Upward acceleration = 1.20 m/s²
Let's calculate the required pulling force:
Force = mass * acceleration
Force = 118 kg * 1.20 m/s²
Force = 141.6 N
Therefore, the man should apply a pulling force of 141.6 N to create an upward acceleration of 1.20 m/s² for the combined mass of the man and the platform.