Question

You are pushing a crate rightwards. The crate has a mass of 50 kg, and your force is 50 N. The surface is rough and the frictional force has a magnitude of 25 N. Where is the frictional force pointing? What is the magnitude of the acceleration?

Answer 1

The frictional force is pointing to the left and the magnitude of the acceleration is 0.5 m/s².

Step-by-step explanation:

The frictional force in this scenario is always opposite to the direction of motion, parallel to the surface between objects, and perpendicular to the normal force. Since you are pushing the crate rightwards, the frictional force will be pointing to the left. The magnitude of the acceleration can be calculated using Newton's second law, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. In this case, the net force is the force you are applying minus the frictional force. So, the magnitude of the acceleration is (50 N - 25 N) / 50 kg = 0.5 m/s².