Final answer:
The weight of the boat is determined by multiplying the force required to pull it up the ramp with the cosine of the ramp's angle of inclination, which makes option b) 556 N * cos(23°) the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out how much the boat weighs, we need to understand the relationship between the weight of the boat (the force due to gravity) and the force exerted to pull the boat up a ramp. The weight can be determined by the component of the pulling force that acts in direct opposition to gravity. Since the ramp is inclined with the horizontal, only a part of the force is opposing gravity directly. This is the component along the axis parallel to the ramp.
To calculate the weight from the force applied along the ramp, we use the cosine function, which gives us the component of a force acting along the direction of gravity when we know the angle of the incline. The weight (W) of the boat is equal to the force required to pull it up the ramp (F) times the cosine of the angle of inclination (θ), i.e., W = F * cos(θ).
The correct formula to determine the boat's weight given a pull force of 556 N at an angle of 23 degrees with the horizontal is thus 556 N * cos(23°). This makes option b) the correct answer.