Chapter 2, Problem 36A

Consider a heavy refrigerator at rest on a kitchen floor. When Anthony and Daniel start to lift it, does the support force on the refrigerator provided by the floor increase, decrease, or remain unchanged? What happens to the support force on Anthony’s and Daniel’s feet?

To determine

Force on refrigerator provided by the floor when D and A lift it. Forces on D’s and A’s feet.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction

Support forces:

The forces which are exerted by surface on the object for balancing i.e.normal force.

  

When refrigerator is at rest, there are only two forces acting on it- normal and gravity. When D and A pull it,then refrigerator contact with surface is removed because of which support force will be removed. According to Newton’s third law of motion, refrigerator exerts equal force on D’s and A’s body and they feel its weight in pulling it.

D’s and A’s feet also feel force by surface i.e. normal and frictional force and also load force exerted by refrigerator with body weight.

Conclusion:Refrigerator feels forces is exerted by D and A and support force removed from it and D’s and A’s feet feel frictional force and load exerted by refrigerator.