Final answer:
To find the magnitude of the force necessary to move the blocks at constant speed, we need to consider the forces acting on each block separately.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the magnitude of the force necessary to move the blocks at constant speed, we need to consider the forces acting on each block separately. The bottom block experiences a tension force from the string pulling it to the left, as well as the force of gravity pulling it downwards. The top block experiences a friction force opposing its motion to the right, caused by its contact with the bottom block. Based on this information, we can set up an equation using Newton's second law to solve for the force P:
For block 1: T - m1 * g = m1 * a1
Since the blocks are being moved at constant speed, we know that the acceleration of block 1 is zero, which means the net force on it is also zero. Therefore, we can rearrange the equation to solve for T:
T = m1 * g
Substituting the given values, we get:
T = 4.00 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 = 39.2 N
Therefore, the magnitude of the force necessary to move the blocks at constant speed is 39.2 N.