homework question I have and I don't really understand how to do the problem.
Gooluk, the Inuit, is pulling a 62kg sled through the snow on his way home from ice fishing. On the back of the sled is his 50kg sack of fishing tackle. The coefficient of sliding friction between the sled and the snow is .07 and the coefficient of sliding friction between the sled and the sack is 0.100. While pulling, the fishing rod sticking out of his sack catches on a tree branch, but Gooluk doesn't notice and keeps walking. What force does Gooluk need to exert to keep the sled moving with a constant speed while the sack pulled back across it?
The sled has two friction forces acting on it while the sack is slipping backward.
Compute the two forces from the weights and friction coefficients given, and add them.
To determine the force that Gooluk needs to exert to keep the sled moving with a constant speed while the sack is pulled back across it, we can break down the problem into several steps:
Step 1: Calculate the forces acting on the sled without the sack.
- The force of gravity acting on the sled can be calculated using the formula Fg = m * g, where m is the mass of the sled and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s^2).
- The force of friction between the sled and the snow can be calculated using the formula Ff = μ * N, where μ is the coefficient of sliding friction and N is the normal force acting on the sled. The normal force is equal to the weight of the sled, N = m * g.
Step 2: Calculate the forces acting on the sack.
- The force of gravity acting on the sack can be calculated using the same formula as above, considering the mass of the sack.
- The force of friction between the sled and the sack can also be calculated using the same formula as above, considering the coefficient of sliding friction between them. The normal force acting on the sack is equal to the weight of the sack, N = m * g.
Step 3: Determine the net force required to maintain constant speed.
- When the sack catches on the tree branch, it creates a force pulling the sled in the opposite direction. This force needs to be overcome in order to keep the sled moving.
- The net force required to maintain constant speed is equal to the force of friction between the sled and the snow plus the force of friction between the sled and the sack, in the opposite direction.
Step 4: Calculate the force exerted by Gooluk.
- The force exerted by Gooluk is equal to the net force required to maintain constant speed.
By following these steps and plugging in the provided values, you should be able to calculate the force that Gooluk needs to exert.