wo men decide to use their cars to pull a truck stuck in mud.

Question

Two men decide to use their cars to pull a truck stuck in mud. They attach ropes and one pulls with a force of 694 N at an angle of 28?  with respect to the direction in which the truck is headed, while the other car pulls with a force of 964 N at an angle of 23?with respect to the same direction.What is the net forward force exerted on the truck in the direction it is headed? Answer in units of N.

Answer 1

We want to find the x components of the forces.

 

For Man 1

 

F_x = 694 cos(28)

F_x = 612.77 N

 

For Man 2

 

F_x = 964 cos(23)

F_x = 887.37 N

 

 

Since both men are pulling in the same direction, you will add these forces.

 

Net force = 612.77 N + 887.37 N

Net force = 1500.14 N