Question

5) You pull a 10.0 kg wagon along a flat road. You exert a force of 80.0 N at an angle of 30.0 degrees above the horizontal while you move the wagon 10.0 m forward. The coefficient of friction between the wagon and road is 0.500. Calculate the work down by you and the work done by friction.

Answer 1

Consult the attached free body diagram. The only forces doing work on the wagon are the frictional force opposing the wagon's motion and the horizontal component of the applied force.

By Newton's second law, the net vertical force is

• ∑ F [v] = n + (80.0 N) sin(30.0°) - mg = 0

where a is the acceleration of the wagon.

Solve for n (the magnitude of the normal force) :

n = (10.0 kg) g - (80.0 N) sin(30.0°) = 58.0 N

Then

f = 0.500 (58.0 N) = 29.0 N

Meanwhile, the horizontal component of the applied force has magnitude

(80.0 N) cos(30.0°) ≈ 69.3 N

Now calculate the work done by either force.

• friction: -(29.0 N) (10.0 m) = -290. J

• pull: (69.3 N) (10.0 m) = 693 J