How Do You Calculate Work Done on an Incline with Ambiguous Angle References?

[Xet]

Homework Statement

object with force of 80N at 170 degrees from x-axis...
moved of a distance of 2.2m at an angle of 10 degrees
problem does not state exactly 10 degrees in respect to what...

Homework Equations

net force is equal to force applied in the horizontal direction (force times cosine of angle) times the distance...

The Attempt at a Solution

After using all my tries on this problem (WebAssign), I realized it's not 10 degrees with the applied force because it would be just simply 80cos(170)2.2...

If I were to calculate the 10 degrees factor...how would I do it? I thought about trying 160 degrees of the applied force...but there's no way to find out the right answer because I used all my attempts...

There's a few more I'm bound to have troubles with so I'll just continue posting...

 

[Doc Al]

If I were to calculate the 10 degrees factor...how would I do it? I thought about trying 160 degrees of the applied force...but there's no way to find out the right answer because I used all my attempts...

Sounds good to me.

Since the first angle (170) was with respect to the x-axis, one would assume that's the reference for the second angle as well.

 

[Moetasim]

As a scientist, it is important to always consider all the information provided in a problem before attempting to solve it. In this case, the problem does not state the reference point for the 10 degree angle, which could significantly affect the calculation.

One approach to solving this problem would be to assume that the 10 degree angle is in reference to the horizontal direction (x-axis), and use the given force of 80N at 170 degrees to calculate the horizontal component of the force. This can then be multiplied by the given distance of 2.2m to find the work done at the incline.

However, if the 10 degree angle is in reference to a different direction, such as the incline itself, then the calculation would be different. It is important to clarify this with the instructor or the problem statement before attempting to solve.

In general, when solving problems involving forces and angles, it is helpful to draw a diagram and label all the given information, including the reference points for angles. This can help avoid confusion and ensure the correct calculation is performed.