Final answer:
To tilt a very tall refrigerator, the calculated force required is about 350 N, assuming the force is applied horizontally 1.4 m above the floor.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the force needed to tilt a very tall refrigerator, we need to calculate the torque required to tip it over its pivot point, which in this case will be the edge of the fridge on the floor that is furthest from where you're pushing. The refrigerator is effectively a uniform, rectangular solid with its center of mass at its geometric center. The force of gravity acts upon the center of mass – halfway along both its width and its depth – which is where we'll assume the force must overcome the torque due to gravity to start the tilt.
The gravitational force acting on the refrigerator is the product of its mass (m) and the acceleration due to gravity (g), providing the torque that must be overcome. This torque (τ) is calculated as τ = (m x g) x (depth/2). Assuming g is approximately 9.81 m/s², we calculate the torque due to gravity as τ = (100 kg x 9.81 m/s²) x (1.0 m / 2) = 490.5 Nm.
To counteract this torque, we use the formula τ = Force x lever arm. The lever arm in this situation is the distance above the floor where the force is applied, which is 1.4 m. We rearrange the formula to solve for the force: Force = τ / lever arm. This gives us Force = 490.5 Nm / 1.4 m, which equals approximately 350.36 N. Therefore, you would need to exert a force of about 350 N at the start of its tipping to tilt the refrigerator.