if the static coefficient of friction in the ice rink between the floor and the skater's shoes is .2, how much pushing force can he supply before his boots will begin to slide?(the skater's mass is 120kg)
max friction force= .2*mass*g
He isn't a skater if he is sliding on his shoes.
The answer is 0.2*g*(120 kg) (in Newtons)
To determine how much pushing force the skater can supply before his boots begin to slide, we need to use the concept of friction. The maximum force of friction that can be exerted between two surfaces is equal to the product of the static coefficient of friction and the normal force.
In this case, the normal force acting on the skater is equal to the weight, which can be calculated by multiplying the mass (120 kg) by the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2). Therefore, the normal force is:
Normal force = mass × acceleration due to gravity
= 120 kg × 9.8 m/s^2
= 1176 N
Now, we can calculate the maximum force of friction using the static coefficient of friction and the normal force:
Maximum force of friction = static coefficient of friction × normal force
= 0.2 × 1176 N
= 235.2 N
Therefore, the skater can supply a maximum pushing force of 235.2 Newtons before his boots begin to slide on the ice rink.