Alex is asked to move two boxes of books in contact with each other and resting

Question

Alex is asked to move two boxes of books in contact with each other and resting on a rough floor. He decides to move them at the same time by pushing on box A with a horizontal pushing force FP = 8.5 N. Here A has a mass mA = 10.2 kg and B has a mass mB = 7.0 kg. The contact force between the two boxes is

The coefficient of kinetic friction between the boxes and the floor is 0.04. (Assume

acts in the +x direction.)

(a) What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the two boxes?


(b) What is the force exerted on mB by mA? In other words what is the magnitude of the contact force

(c) If Alex were to push from the other side on the 7.0-kg box, what would the new magnitude of

Explanation / Answer

a)

The acceleration produced in both bodies is given by

a =F/(mA+mB)

If the force exrted by mB on mA if F'. then

F-F' =mAa

F' =F -mA(F/ma+mB)

F' =mBF/mA+mB

B)

When the force F acts on the body with mass m2 is given by

Acceleration produced in the body is a =F(mA+mB)

If the forceexerted by mA on mB is F' then F'-F mBa

F' = F-mBa

F' =F[1-(mB/mA+mB)]

F =mAF/(mA+mB)

substitute all the given values to get the required answer

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