The x coordinate of the center of gravity of this horse is 1/4 of

the way from his front legs (at left) to his rear legs (at right). His
weight is W. What is the normal force exerted by the ground on
each of his two front hooves?

To find the normal force exerted by the ground on each of the horse's front hooves, we need to consider the concept of center of gravity and weight distribution.

The center of gravity of an object is the point at which the weight of the object can be considered to act. In this case, the center of gravity of the horse is located 1/4 of the way from his front legs to his rear legs.

To determine the normal force exerted by the ground on each front hoof, we need to understand that the normal force is the force exerted by a surface to support the weight of an object resting on it. It acts perpendicular to the surface.

Given that the horse weighs W, we can assume that its weight is evenly distributed between its four legs. Therefore, each front hoof bears 1/4 of the total weight.

To calculate the normal force, we can use the equation:

Normal Force = Weight

Since each front hoof bears 1/4 of the total weight, the normal force exerted by the ground on each front hoof can be expressed as:

Normal Force = (1/4) * Weight

Thus, the normal force exerted by the ground on each of the horse's two front hooves is (1/4) times the weight W.