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Ch. 7 - Applications of Trigonometry and Vectors
Chapter 8, Problem 7.51

Find the force required to keep a 75-lb sled from sliding down an incline that makes an angle of 27° with the horizontal. (Assume there is no friction.)

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1
Identify the forces acting on the sled. The weight of the sled acts vertically downward, and the force required to keep it from sliding acts parallel to the incline.
Decompose the weight of the sled into two components: one parallel to the incline and one perpendicular to the incline. Use trigonometric functions to find these components.
The component of the weight parallel to the incline is given by \( W \sin(\theta) \), where \( W \) is the weight of the sled and \( \theta \) is the angle of the incline.
The component of the weight perpendicular to the incline is given by \( W \cos(\theta) \). This component does not affect the sliding motion.
Set the force required to keep the sled from sliding equal to the parallel component of the weight, \( F = W \sin(\theta) \), and solve for \( F \).

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Key Concepts

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

Inclined Plane

An inclined plane is a flat surface tilted at an angle to the horizontal. It is used to analyze forces acting on objects resting on or moving along the slope. The angle of inclination affects the distribution of gravitational force, which can be resolved into components parallel and perpendicular to the incline.
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Example 2

Components of Forces

Forces acting on an object can be broken down into components along the axes of interest, typically horizontal and vertical. In the case of an incline, the weight of the sled can be decomposed into two components: one acting parallel to the incline (causing it to slide down) and one acting perpendicular to the incline (normal force). Understanding these components is crucial for calculating the net force.
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Newton's Second Law

Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. In this scenario, since the sled is not accelerating (it is stationary), the net force must be zero. This principle allows us to set the force required to counteract the component of gravitational force acting down the incline equal to the gravitational force component itself.
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