Lenore is on an inclined plane next to her truck. Holding her hands steady, she pushes a box up the plane and into her truck. Where can energy be lost?
Choices:
1) Friction between Lenore and the ground.
2) Friction between the box and the inclined plane.
3) Friction between Lenore’s hands and the box.
4) Friction between the truck and the inclined plane.
Energy can be lost in all of the choices provided.
1) Friction between Lenore and the ground: This type of friction can cause a loss of mechanical energy when Lenore pushes against the ground to provide the force necessary to move the box up the inclined plane.
2) Friction between the box and the inclined plane: This friction can cause a loss of mechanical energy as it opposes the motion of the box up the incline.
3) Friction between Lenore's hands and the box: This type of friction can cause a loss of mechanical energy as Lenore applies force to push the box up the incline.
4) Friction between the truck and the inclined plane: If the truck is not secured or if there is sliding friction between the truck and the inclined plane, energy can be lost as the truck moves or tries to move along the incline.
In summary, all of the provided choices involve friction, which can cause a loss of energy during the process of pushing the box up the inclined plane and into the truck.
which one is the right answer?
The right answer is all of the choices (1-4) can result in energy loss.
Which one is closest to the right answer?
If we are looking for the closest answer, the answer that is most directly related to the energy loss in this specific scenario is the choice:
2) Friction between the box and the inclined plane.
Friction between the box and the inclined plane is the most significant source of energy loss in this situation. As the box is pushed up the inclined plane, the friction between the box and the surface of the incline opposes the motion, causing energy to be lost due to heat generated by the friction. This type of friction directly affects the energy transfer from Lenore's push to the box's movement.