Question

Alex is asked to move two boxes of books in contact with each other and resting on a rough floor. He decides to move them at the same time by pushing on box A with a horizontal pushing force Fp = 9.1 N. Here A has a mass mA = 10.6 kg and B has a mass mB = 7.0 kg. The contact force between the two boxes is →FC. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the boxes and the floor is 0.02. Assume →Fp
acts in the +x direction.
a. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the two boxes?
b. What is the force exerted on mB
by mA? In other words what is the magnitude of the contact force →FC?
c. If Alex were to push from the other side on the 7.0 kg box, what would the new magnitude of →FC be?

Answer 1

Answer:

Part a)

$a= 0.32 m/s^2$

Part b)

$F_c = 3.6 N$

Part c)

$F_c = 5.5 N$

Explanation:

Part a)

As we know that the friction force on two boxes is given as

$F_f = \mu m_a g + \mu m_b g$

$F_f = 0.02(10.6 + 7)9.81$

$F_f = 3.45 N$

Now we know by Newton's II law

$F_{net} = ma$

so we have

$F_p - F_f = (m_a + m_b) a$

$9.1 - 3.45 = (10.6 + 7) a$

$a = \frac{5.65}{17.6}$

$a= 0.32 m/s^2$

Part b)

For block B we know that net force on it will push it forward with same acceleration so we have

$F_c - F_f = m_b a$

$F_c = \mu m_b g + m_b a$

$F_c = 0.02(7)(9.8) + 7(0.32)$

$F_c = 3.6 N$

Part c)

If Alex push from other side then also the acceleration will be same

So for box B we can say that Net force is given as

$F_p - F_f - F_c = m_b a$

$9.1 - 0.02(7)(9.8) - F_c = 7(0.32)$

$F_c = 9.1 - 0.02 (7)(9.8) - 7(0.32)$

$F_c = 5.5 N$