Force needed to keep object from accelerating problem

In summary, the problem involves a 280kg box sliding down a 30 degree incline with a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.4. The box is prevented from accelerating by a man pushing back on it parallel to the incline. The man's force and the force of friction are in the opposite direction of the weight of the box. To solve the problem, one must sum all forces in the x-direction, including the weight of the box, the force of friction, and the force exerted by the man. By determining the force of friction and using trigonometry to find the components of the weight vector and the force exerted by the man, one can solve for the force exerted by the man to keep the
  • #1
joej
29
0
This problem is keeping me up all night, I did what I thought was right to figure out the force needed but the answer sheet tells me that my solution is wrong, spend 4 hours trying to figure out what I did wrong can't come up with anything:

A 280kg box slides 4.3m down a 30 degree incline and is kept from accelerating by a man who is pushing back on it parallel to the incline. The effective coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.4. Calculate the force exerted by the man.

It might well be that I am completely out of my mind today and forgetting some basic thing that I am supposed to do, anyways I tried to do:

Ff = 280 * 9.8 * sin30 * 0.4

I am quite sure actually that I am forgetting something... just god damn don't know what it is.

thnx for any help in advance.
 
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  • #2
Try [tex]\sum F=0[/tex]

Now, as for the forces you seem to be missing one. Draw a FBD. Put ALL forces acting on the box. Sum them in the x and y directions. If you need help determining the forces post what you've got thus far and we'll see if we can figure out which force(s) is/are missing.

Good luck

PS welcome.
 
  • #3
hrm well the FBD that I drew I set up the x-axis to be parallel to the incline and basically I have the following forces:

g, pulling the object down (is split into two forces since it is @ an incline the force pulling the box down the incline should be sin30 of the full force, I believe)
coefficiant of friction force (0.4) going against g
force that the person excerts on the box also going against g
and normal force which I believe should be equal to cos60 of the g force
 
  • #4
So you have:

[tex]\sum F_x=W_x-F_{fr}-F_{man}=0[/tex]

You know how to find the component of the weight vector in the x direction. That Wieght of the box is pulling the box to the right (positive). The man and friction are pushing to the left (negative).

How do you determine the force of friction? Once you figure this out you'll have all the parts needed to solve this question.
 
  • #5
that is where I get lost I mean okay I determine the force of friction which should be equal to:
coefficient of friction * netForce

now net force will be mass * acceleration (all in x-axis)

this I can do with: mass * acceleration * sin30

and so here I get lost as to what I should do next



----edit----

never mind I got it, seems I was messing up one cos angle and that was causing all the problems duh god I'm stupid :-p
 
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FAQ: Force needed to keep object from accelerating problem

What is the definition of "force needed to keep object from accelerating problem"?

The force needed to keep an object from accelerating is the amount of force required to counteract the object's tendency to move in a particular direction due to the influence of external forces.

What factors influence the force needed to keep an object from accelerating?

The force needed to keep an object from accelerating is influenced by the mass of the object, the acceleration due to gravity, and any external forces acting on the object such as friction or air resistance.

How do you calculate the force needed to keep an object from accelerating?

The force needed to keep an object from accelerating can be calculated using the formula F = ma, where F is the force, m is the mass of the object, and a is the acceleration.

What is the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration in this problem?

In this problem, force is directly proportional to both mass and acceleration. This means that if the mass or acceleration of the object increases, the force needed to keep it from accelerating will also increase.

Can the force needed to keep an object from accelerating ever be zero?

No, the force needed to keep an object from accelerating cannot be zero. This is because all objects have a tendency to accelerate due to the influence of external forces, and a force of zero would not be enough to counteract this acceleration.

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