High School

Fancy Dan moves an 18 kg desk across the room by applying a 174 N force at an upward 39º angle from the horizontal. Given that the coefficient of friction (μ) is 0.50, what is the normal force on the desk?

A. 47.08 N
B. 98.1 N
C. 174 N
D. 344.5 N

Answer :

Final answer:

The normal force on the desk is 110.8 N.

Explanation:

To calculate the normal force on the desk, we need to break down the applied force into its vertical and horizontal components. The vertical component can be found using the formula Fv = F * sin(θ), where F is the applied force and θ is the angle. In this case, Fv = 174 N * sin(39°) = 110.8 N. Since the desk is not accelerating vertically, the normal force must cancel out the vertical component of the applied force, so the normal force is 110.8 N.