Final answer:
The friction force acting on a 5500 kg truck parked on a 15° slope is approximately 13983 Newtons. This is calculated using the parallel component of the truck's weight on the slope.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the friction force acting on a truck parked on a slope, we need to calculate the component of the truck's weight parallel to the slope, as this is the force that friction must counteract to prevent the truck from sliding down. The force of gravity parallel to the slope (Fparallel) is given by Fparallel = m × g × sin(θ), where m is the mass of the truck, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s² on Earth), and θ is the angle of the slope. Since the truck is stationary, frictional force equals the parallel component of gravitational force.
For a 5500 kg truck parked on a 15° slope, the friction force Friction is calculated as::
Ffriction = 5500 kg × 9.81 m/s² × sin(15°) = 5500 kg × 9.81 m/s² × 0.2588 ≈ 13983 N
Therefore, the friction force acting on the truck is approximately 13983 Newtons.