Part (a): Net force magnitude = 21.8 N, direction = opposite to the pushing force.
Part (b): Net work done = -16.35 J (negative due to work done against friction).
Part (c): Final speed of the crate = 0.803 m/s (slightly slower than the initial speed).
Part (a): Net Force on the Crate
Identify forces: Draw a force diagram showing the following forces acting on the crate:
Horizontal pushing force
: 291 N, directed forward.
Friction force
: Opposes the direction of motion, with magnitude
, where
is the coefficient of kinetic friction (0.355) and N is the normal force (equal to the weight of the crate, 90.0 kg * 9.81 m/s²).
Weight (W): 90.0 kg * 9.81 m/s², acting downward.
Calculate normal force: Since the floor is horizontal, the normal force is equal to the weight of the crate: N = W = 90.0 kg * 9.81 m/s² = 882.9 N.
Calculate friction force:
=
= 0.355 * 882.9 N ≈ 312.8 N.
Net force: The net force is the sum of all forces acting on the crate. Since the pushing force and the friction force are in opposite directions, we have:
Net force (
) =
= 291 N - 312.8 N ≈ -21.8 N (Negative sign indicates a net force in the opposite direction of the pushing force).
Part (b): Net Work Done on the Crate
Net work definition: Work is the product of force and displacement in the direction of the force. Since the net force is acting against the direction of movement (0.75 m), the work done is negative:
Net work (
) =
= (-21.8 N) * (0.75 m) ≈ -16.35 J.
Part (c): Final Speed of the Crate
Work-energy principle: The work done on the crate is equal to the change in its kinetic energy:
W_net =
where m is the mass of the crate (90.0 kg),
is the initial speed (0.860 m/s), and
is the final speed (unknown).
Solve for
: Rearrange the equation and solve for





(Note that the final speed is lower than the initial speed due to the work done against friction).