A 225-kg crate is pushed horizontally with a force of 690 N. If the coefficient of friction is 0.20, calculate the acceleration of the crate.
To calculate the acceleration of the crate, we need to use Newton's second law of motion, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. In this case, the net force is the force applied minus the force of friction.
Step 1: Calculate the force of friction:
The force of friction can be calculated using the formula:
force_friction = coefficient_friction * normal_force
The normal force is the force exerted by the surface the crate is resting on, which is equal to the weight of the crate.
normal_force = mass * gravitational_acceleration
mass = 225 kg
gravitational_acceleration ≈ 9.8 m/s^2
normal_force = 225 kg * 9.8 m/s^2
Step 2: Calculate the force applied:
The force applied is given as 690 N.
Step 3: Calculate the net force:
net_force = force_applied - force_friction
Step 4: Calculate the acceleration:
acceleration = net_force / mass
Let's plug in the values and calculate the acceleration:
normal_force = 225 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 = 2205 N
force_friction = 0.20 * 2205 N
force_applied = 690 N
net_force = 690 N - (0.20 * 2205 N)
acceleration = net_force / mass
Now, you can proceed with the calculation to find the acceleration of the crate.