A truck pulls boxes up an incline plane. The truck can exert a maximum force of #2,500 N#. If the plane's incline is #(7 pi )/8 # and the coefficient of friction is #1/3 #, what is the maximum mass that can be pulled up at one time?

1 Answer
Nov 23, 2017

The maximum mass is #=3413.9kg#

Explanation:

enter image source here

Resolving in the direction parallel to the plane #↗^+#

Let the force exerted by the truck be #F=2500N#

Let the frictional force be #=F_rN#

The coefficient of friction #mu=F_r/N=1/3#

The normal force is #N=mgcostheta#

The angle of the plane is #theta=7/8pi#

The acceleration due to gravity is #g=9.8ms^-2#
Therefore,

#F=F_r+mgsintheta#

#=muN+mgsintheta#

#=mumgcostheta+mgsintheta#

#m=F/(g(mucostheta+sintheta))#

#=2500/(9.8(1/3*cos(7/8pi)+sin(7/8pi))#

#=3413.9kg#