Final answer:
The torque exerted by pushing perpendicularly on a wrench with a force of 165 N at a distance of 0.140 m from the center of the bolt is 23.1 N.m (newton-meters) or 17.04 foot-pounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
When tightening a bolt, if you push perpendicularly on a wrench with a force of 165 N at a distance of 0.140 m from the center of the bolt, the torque you are exerting can be calculated using the formula for torque, τ = r * F * sin(θ), where r is the radius (or distance from the pivot point), F is the force applied, and θ is the angle between the force and the radius.
In this case, the force is applied perpendicularly, which means at a 90-degree angle to the wrench, so sin(90°) = 1. Therefore, the torque (τ) is simply the product of the radius (0.140 m) and the force (165 N), which equals 23.1 N.m (newton meters).
To convert the torque from newton meters to foot-pounds, we use the conversion factor where 1 N.m is approximately equal to 0.73756 foot-pounds. Therefore, 23.1 N.m is equivalent to 17.04 foot-pounds.