The force of friction is calculated as the product of the mass of the crate and the rate of slowing down, which in this case is -3 m/s².
To find the force of friction, we use Newton's second law, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration.
In order to find the force of friction, we can use Newton's second law, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. The acceleration in this case is the rate of slowing down, which is -3 m/s² (negative because the object is slowing down in the positive direction). Let's assume the mass of the crate is m.
The net force can be calculated using the formula: net force = mass × acceleration. Therefore, the force of friction is given by: force of friction = mass × acceleration = m × (-3) = -3m N.
So, the force of friction is -3m N, where m is the mass of the crate.