Question

A 10.5kg toy chest sits on the carpet at a daycare. A young girl would like to slide the

chest across the carpet. If the coefficient of static friction between the carpet and
the chest is 0.390, how much force does she need to apply to get the chest moving?

Answer 1

To move the toy chest, the girl needs to apply at least 40.13 Newtons of force to overcome the static friction between the chest and the carpet.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student has asked how much force is required to move a 10.5kg toy chest across the carpet when the coefficient of static friction is 0.390. To find the force needed to overcome static friction, we use the formula F = μ_s × N, where μ_s is the coefficient of static friction, and N is the normal force. The normal force (N) here is equal to the weight of the chest, which can be calculated using N = m × g, where m is the mass of the chest and g is the acceleration due to gravity, 9.8 m/s². Thus, N is 10.5 kg × 9.8 m/s² = 102.9 N. Applying the coefficient of static friction, the force needed is F = 0.390 × 102.9 N ≈ 40.13 N. Therefore, the girl needs to apply a force of at least 40.13 Newtons to begin sliding the chest across the carpet.