If you're dragging a 75kg log along the ground at constant velocity and you have to pull on it with a horizontal force of 250 N, what is the resistive force exerted by the ground??
Since there is no acceleration, the net force is zero, which means the resistive (friction) force equals the pulling force
To determine the resistive force exerted by the ground, we need to calculate the magnitude of the force required to counteract the applied pulling force and maintain constant velocity.
Given:
Mass of the log (m) = 75 kg
Applied force (F_applied) = 250 N
At constant velocity, the resistive force exerted by the ground is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the applied force. This is known as Newton's Third Law of Motion.
Therefore, the magnitude of the resistive force (F_resistive) can be calculated as:
F_resistive = F_applied = 250 N
So, the resistive force exerted by the ground is 250 N.