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Expert: - 4/24/2009


Question
Find the work done by a force of 6 pounds acting in the direction of 37 degrees to the horizontal in moving an object 2 feet from (0,0) to (2,0). I got 10.2 foot-pounds. Is that right?

Answer

Vectors-2
Questioner:   brittney
Country:  United States
Category:  Advanced Math
Private:  No
 
Subject:  pre-cal vectors
Question:  Find the work done by a force of 6 pounds acting in the direction of 37 degrees to the horizontal in moving an object 2 feet from (0,0) to (2,0). I got 10.2 foot-pounds. Is that right?
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Hi, Brittney, (again)

Now you want the product of:

The distance traveled (2 feet)
The force in that direction.

In the diagram, the vertical force is  6 sin 37

So the product is  12 sin 37  foot-lbs.

I think that's it.

Paul Klarreich

Expertise

I can answer questions in basic to advanced algebra (theory of equations, complex numbers), precalculus (functions, graphs, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions and identities), basic probability, and finite mathematics, including mathematical induction. I can also try (but not guarantee) to answer questions on Abstract Algebra -- groups, rings, etc. and Analysis -- sequences, limits, continuity. I won't understand specialized engineering or business jargon.

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I taught at a two-year college for 25 years, including all subjects from algebra to third-semester calculus.

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