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Ch 09: Work and Kinetic Energy
Chapter 9, Problem 9

Susan's 10 kg baby brother Paul sits on a mat. Susan pulls the mat across the floor using a rope that is angled 30° above the floor. The tension is a constant 30 N and the coefficient of friction is 0.20. Use work and energy to find Paul's speed after being pulled 3.0 m.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Work-Energy Principle

The Work-Energy Principle states that the work done on an object is equal to the change in its kinetic energy. In this scenario, the work done by the tension in the rope will increase Paul's kinetic energy as he is pulled across the mat. This principle allows us to relate the force applied, the distance moved, and the resulting speed of the object.
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Friction and Normal Force

Friction is a force that opposes the motion of an object and is dependent on the normal force and the coefficient of friction. In this case, the normal force acting on Paul is affected by both his weight and the vertical component of the tension in the rope. Understanding how to calculate the net force considering friction is crucial for determining the net work done on Paul.
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Components of Forces

When dealing with forces at an angle, it is essential to resolve them into their horizontal and vertical components. The tension in the rope can be broken down into a horizontal component that contributes to pulling Paul forward and a vertical component that affects the normal force. This decomposition is vital for accurately calculating the net force and the work done on Paul.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
FIGURE EX9.20 is the force-versus-position graph for a particle moving along the x-axis. Determine the work done on the particle during each of the three intervals 0–1 m, 1–2 m, and 2–3 m.

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Textbook Question
A 2.0 kg particle moving along the x-axis experiences the force shown in FIGURE EX9.22. The particle's velocity is 3.0 m/s at x = 0m . At what point on the x-axis does the particle have a turning point?

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Textbook Question
An 8.0 kg crate is pulled 5.0 m up a 30° incline by a rope angled 18 ° above the incline. The tension in the rope is 120 N, and the crate's coefficient of kinetic friction on the incline is 0.25. (b) What is the increase in thermal energy of the crate and incline?
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Textbook Question
(a) How much work does an elevator motor do to lift a 1000 kg elevator a height of 100 m?
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Textbook Question
When you ride a bicycle at constant speed, nearly all the energy you expend goes into the work you do against the drag force of the air. Model a cyclist as having cross-section area 0.45 m² and, because the human body is not aerodynamically shaped, a drag coefficient of 0.90 . Use 1.2 kg/m³ as the density of air at room temperature. (c) The food calorie is equivalent to 4190 J. How many calories does the cyclist burn if he rides over level ground at 7.3 m/s for 1 h?
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Textbook Question
A 25 kg air compressor is dragged up a rough incline from r₁ (→ above r)= (1.3î + 1.3ĵ) m to r₂ (→ above r) = (8.3î + 2.9ĵ) m, to where the y-axis is vertical. How much work does gravity do on the compressor during this displacement?
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