Question

You are pushing a 60 kg block of ice across the ground. You exert a constant force of 9 N on the block of ice. You let go after pushing it across some distance d, and the block leaves your hand with a velocity of 0.85 m/s. While you are pushing, the work done by friction between the ice and the ground is 3 Nm (3 J). Assuming that the ice block was stationary before you push it, find d.

Answer 1

Answer: d = 33 cm or 0.33 m

Explanation: In physics, Work is the amount of energy transferred to an object to make it move. It can be expressed by:

W = F.d.cosθ

F is the force applied to the object, d is the displacement and θ is the angle formed between the force and the displacement.

For the ice block, the angle is 0, i.e., force and distance are at the same direction, so:

W = F.d.cos(0)

W = F.d

To determine d:

d = $\frac{W}{F}$

d = $\frac{3}{9}$

d = 0.33 m

The distance d the block ice moved is 33 cm.