A middle school kid is pushing a lawn mower with 46 N of force at an angle 31 degrees below the horizontal and walks for a total 350 m of distance to finish mowing a neighbor's lawn. How many Joules of work does the kid do to the lawn mower?
A middle school kid is pushing a lawn mower with 46 N of force at an angle 31 degrees below the horizontal and walks for a total 350 m of distance to finish mowing a neighbor's lawn. How many Joules of work does the kid do to the lawn mower?
College Physics
11th Edition
ISBN:9781305952300
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1CQ: Estimate the order of magnitude of the length, in meters, of each of the following; (a) a mouse, (b)...
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
Transcribed Image Text:**Educational Content: Work Done on a Lawn Mower Problem**
**Problem Statement:**
A middle school kid is pushing a lawn mower with 46 N of force at an angle 31 degrees below the horizontal and walks for a total of 350 m of distance to finish mowing a neighbor's lawn. How many Joules of work does the kid do to the lawn mower?
**Hint:** Above and below horizontal is no difference in this question.
**Explanation and Solution:**
**Step 1: Understand the Problem**
- Force applied by the kid: 46 N
- Angle of the force relative to the horizontal: 31 degrees
- Distance walked: 350 m
**Step 2: Decompose the Force**
Since the force is applied at an angle, only the horizontal component of the force contributes to doing work:
- Horizontal Component of Force (F_horizontal) = F * cos(θ)
- F = 46 N
- θ = 31 degrees
- F_horizontal = 46 N * cos(31°)
Using a calculator to find cos(31°):
- cos(31°) ≈ 0.8572
- F_horizontal ≈ 46 N * 0.8572 = 39.43 N
**Step 3: Calculate the Work Done**
Work done (W) is given by the product of the horizontal component of the force and the distance:
- W = F_horizontal * d
- d = 350 m
- W = 39.43 N * 350 m
- W ≈ 13,800 Joules
**Answer:**
The kid does approximately 13,800 Joules of work on the lawn mower.
By decomposing the force into its horizontal component and using the definition of work, the work done by the kid can be accurately calculated, allowing students to understand how angles affect force application in real-world scenarios.
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