A 40N crate is 6.0M up along a 37° inclined plane. What is the magnitude of the work done by the weight of the crate?

Question

A 40N crate is 6.0M up along a 37° inclined plane. What is the magnitude of the work done by the weight of the crate?

Answer 1

If the crate is 6.0 m vertically from the floor, the potential energy (potential to do work) is the product of the crate's weight and the vertical distance from the floor. Since the crate is given in newtons, this represents the weight of the crate in the mks system. If, on the other hand, the 6.0 m is measured along the slope of the incline, trigonometry must be used to calculate the vertical height of the crate using the sine relationship between the incline angle and the hypotenuse (slope distance). In either case the the potential work is a product of the weight and the vertical height.