Question

two students push a 75kg crate across the floor. olivia pushes with a force of 185 N going east and sophia pushes towards west. they get the crate moving at a constant velocity. draw and label a free body diagram including the normal force, weight and the two applied forces. calculate or determine the value for each of the 4 forces and label them on your free body diagram.

Answer 1

Find the weight:

$$W=mg=75·9.8=735\text{ N}.$$

The normal force:

$$N=W=735\text{ N}.$$

Since the crate moves at constant velocity, we have no friction, according to Newton's first law, this is only possible when the forces are in equilibrium, so, the force that Sophia applies is:

$$F_2=F_1=185\text{ N}.$$