The work done by the frictional force acting on a 15 kg piece of furniture sliding down a 6.6 m ramp inclined at 32 degrees is calculated to be 180.18 joules.
Now,
The student's question involves calculating the work done while sliding an object down a ramp with friction. In physics, we can determine the work done by friction as the product of the frictional force and the distance moved in the direction of the force, taking into account the direction of the force.
Here, since friction acts opposite to the direction of movement, work done by friction will be negative. The frictional force is given as 27.3 N, and the furniture slides down a ramp of 6.6 m long.
The work done by friction (Wf) is:-
Work Wf = Friction Force x Distance x cos(Angle)
Wf = -27.3 N x 6.6 m x cos(180°)
Wf = -27.3 N x 6.6 m x -1
Wf = 180.18 J
The negative sign indicates that the friction force is in the direction opposite to the displacement. Hence, the resulting work done by the frictional force during the furniture's journey down the ramp is 180.18 joules (J).