Alright, I can't figure it out, here's the problem.
3. A boy is giving his little sister a ride in the wagon. He pulls with an applied force of 20N. The frictional force against him is 20N and the sled is traveling 2m/s. If the boy pulls the wagon 45m, how much work does he do?
Units:
Fa= 20N
Ff=20N
Vf=2m/s
D=45m
Equations I have:
P=W/t
Work= force x distance
Work=mghf-mghi
Work=mgvf-mgvi
I was thinking the work = force x distance? But wouldn't the net force be 0? Making the work 0 at the end of the equation?
Force=10+15 N =25N
To calculate the work done by the boy pulling the wagon, we need to consider the net force acting on the wagon. The net force is the vector sum of all the forces acting on the wagon.
In this case, the applied force by the boy is 20N, and the frictional force opposing the motion is also 20N. Since the forces are equal in magnitude but in opposite directions, the net force is zero (20N - 20N = 0N).
However, work is still being done even if the net force is zero. Work is defined as the product of force and displacement, and it is not dependent on the net force. In this scenario, the work done by the boy pulling the wagon is given by the equation:
Work = Force x Distance
Substituting the given values:
Work = 20N x 45m
Work = 900 Joules
Therefore, the work done by the boy pulling the wagon is 900 Joules, even though the net force is zero. The work done represents the energy transferred from the boy to the wagon, resulting in the wagon moving a distance of 45 meters.