Question

While a roofer is working on a roof that slants at 38.0 degrees above the horizontal, he accidentally nudges his 90.0 N toolbox, causing it to start sliding downward, starting from rest. What is the force of gravity acting on the toolbox?

1) 90.0 N
2) 38.0 N
3) Cannot be determined
4) None of the above

Answer 1

The force of gravity acting on the toolbox is 90.0 N regardless of the angle of the roof; the angle affects the components of this force, not its magnitude.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves understanding the force of gravity acting on an object on an inclined plane. When an object is at rest on a surface that is angled, the force of gravity acting on the object is still the weight of the object, which is the product of its mass and the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s² on Earth). In this case, the question states that the toolbox has a force of gravity of 90.0 N, which means that regardless of the slope or angle, the force of gravity acting on the toolbox is always 90.0 N. The angle of the slope does not change the force of gravity but rather affects the components of this force as they relate to the slope.