What is the work done by a horse that exerts an applied force of 100 N on a sleigh, if the harness makes an angle of 30° with the ground, and the sleigh moves 30 m across a flat level ice surface?

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Answer 1 · 2018-06-01T13:14:13

I get approximately #2598.1# joules.

Work done is given by the equation,

#W=F*d*costheta#

where:

#W# is the work done in joules

#F# is the force in newtons

#d# is the distance moved in meters

#theta# is the angle of incline in degrees

So, we get:

#W=100 \ "N"*30 \ "m"*cos 30^@#

#=3000 \ "N m"*sqrt3/2#

#=1500sqrt3 \ "N m"#

#~~2598.1 \ "N m"#

#=2598.1 \ "J" \ (because 1 \ "J"=1 \ "N m")#