Frictional Force and Acceleration of a Wagon

What is the acceleration of the wagon pulling a load across the grass?

A child pulls a wagon across the grass with a force of 50 N at an angle of 42 degrees above the ground. The loaded wagon has a mass of 12 kg with a coefficient of friction of 0.64. What is the acceleration of the wagon? Describe the motion of the wagon.

Answer:

The acceleration of the wagon is -1.398 m/s^2.

To calculate the acceleration of the wagon, we need to consider the forces acting on it. The pulling force, angle of inclination, mass of the wagon, and coefficient of friction are given.

The normal force is given by N = mg - Fsinθ, and the frictional force is given by f = µN. By applying the force balance equation, we can find the acceleration of the wagon.

After substituting the given values into the acceleration formula and solving for a, we get a = -1.398 m/s^2. The negative sign indicates that the wagon is decelerating or slowing down.

Understanding the concept of frictional force is crucial in determining the motion and acceleration of objects in various scenarios. Explore more about frictional force to deepen your knowledge in physics!