Final answer:
The torque applied to a nut with a force at an angle can be calculated using the formula T = F * R * sin(θ), where F is the force, R is the distance from the pivot, and θ is the angle. The maximum torque occurs when the force is applied perpendicular to the lever arm (90° angle).
Step-by-step explanation:
The magnitude and direction of a torque depend on the force applied and the distance from the pivot point, along with the sine of the angle between the force and the lever arm. For the initial case, the torque (T) applied by a 20.00-N force at a 40° angle and at 0.25 m from the nut can be calculated using the formula T = F * R * sin(θ), where F is the force, R is the distance (radius), and θ is the angle in question. For angle y = 40°, θ is equivalent to y, and the torque would be T = 20 N * 0.25 m * sin(40°).
When calculating torque for a different angle p = 45°, we simply adjust the angle in the equation accordingly: T = 20 N * 0.25 m * sin(45°). The torque has the largest magnitude when the force is applied perpendicular to the wrench handle, which occurs at an angle of 90° (sin(90°) = 1). Hence the maximum torque would be Tbest = 20 N * 0.25 m = 5.00 N⋅m.