A man pushes a 37kg lawn mower using a handle inclined 30.0 degrees from the horizontal. He pushes with 75 N directed along the handle. a) what is the mower's weight. b) What's the normal force on the mower? c) what's the mower's acceleration (ignoring friction)

Question

A man pushes a 37kg  lawn mower using a handle inclined 30.0 degrees from the horizontal. He pushes with 75 N directed along the handle. a) what is the mower's weight. b) What's the normal force on the mower? c) what's the mower's acceleration (ignoring friction)

anonymous · Answer

i already got part a which is 360 N.   i just multiplied the mass to 9.8m/s^2.

jamesj · Answer

As ever, start with a diagram.

The weight part sounds right.  

The normal force needs to be the 'equal and opposite' reaction to both the weight vector and the portion of the push the mower is receiving from the main.

The acceleration comes from the other part of the force provided by the man, the part which is parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the vertical forces of gravity and the normal force.