2 Problems: 1 friction 1 uniform acceleration

In summary, the conversation discusses two homework problems. The first problem involves determining the magnitude of the force on the Wheaties box from the Cheerios box, given the applied force, frictional forces, and masses of the boxes. The second problem involves finding the angle made by loosely hanging hand straps on a street car that is rounding a corner. The conversation also considers the concept of equal and opposite forces acting on objects in contact.
  • #1
Weather Freak
40
0
Hey folks,

If someone can take a look at these two homework problems and help me out, it'd be greatly appreciated.

1) A box of Cheerios and a box of Wheaties are accerelated across a horizontal surface by a horizontal force F applied to the Cheerios box. The magnitude of the frictional force on the Cheerios box is 2.0 N and the magnitude of the frictional force on the Wheaties box is 4.0 N. If the magnitude of F is 12.0 N, what is the magnitude of the force on the Wheaties box from the Cheerios box?

The Cheerios box is 1.0 kg and the Wheaties box is 3.0 kg.

The first thing I did was come up with all the forces on the boxes:

Wheaties Box:
[tex]
\Sigma F_{x} = F_{c}-F_{fric, w} = m_{w}a[/tex]
[tex]\Sigma F_{y} = N_{w}-m_{w}g = 0
[/tex]

Cheerios Box:
[tex]
\Sigma F_{x} = F-F_{fric, c} = m_{c}a[/tex]
[tex]\Sigma F_{y} = N_{c}-m_{c}g = 0
[/tex]

Then I used the first equation to solve for [tex]F_{c}[/tex]. I got: [tex]F_{c}=m_{w}a - F_{fric, w}[/tex].

I then plugged in for the acceleration (using the 3rd equation) and my final answer is: 26 Newtons. Does that sound right to anyone? It seems a bit high which is why I ask.

2) An old street car rounds a corner of radius 9.1 m, at 16 km/h. What angle from the vertical will be made by the loosely hanging hand straps?

I didn't get far enough with this one to do much work, but my initial thought is that there is some kind of force acting in the horizontal direction that would push the hand straps. I'm not sure what it is or where else to begin with this.

Thanks a bunch!
 
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  • #2
If C pushes on B , doesn't B push back on C ?

The hand strap is connected to the street car
at the ceiling. The street car is accelerating.
sideways.
 
  • #3
lightgrav said:
If C pushes on B , doesn't B push back on C ?

The hand strap is connected to the street car
at the ceiling. The street car is accelerating.
sideways.

So does that mean that there should be an extra force on the Cheerios box, from the Wheaties box, in the opposing (same as friction) direction?
 

FAQ: 2 Problems: 1 friction 1 uniform acceleration

1. What is friction?

Friction is the force that opposes the motion of an object when it comes into contact with another object or surface. It can be caused by the unevenness of surfaces or the interaction between molecules.

2. How does friction affect uniform acceleration?

Friction can decrease the acceleration of an object by acting in the opposite direction of the motion. This is because friction creates a resistive force that must be overcome by the applied force in order for the object to accelerate at a constant rate.

3. How can friction be reduced?

Friction can be reduced by using materials that have smoother surfaces, using lubricants, or minimizing the contact surface area between two objects.

4. What is uniform acceleration?

Uniform acceleration is the constant change in an object's velocity over time. It occurs when the object experiences a constant force in the same direction.

5. How is friction related to the coefficient of friction?

The coefficient of friction is a measure of the amount of friction between two surfaces. It is directly related to the force of friction, with a higher coefficient of friction indicating a greater resistance to motion.

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