Thread: Force as a vector

A lawn roller with a mass of 50 kg is being pulled with a force of 320 N. If the handle of the roller makes an angle of 42 degrees with the ground, what horizontal component of the force is causing the roller to move?

So I ended up doing this:

490tan42=x
x=441 N

I got 490 by going 50 kg x 9.8

so I'm not sure if this is right because there are no answers in the back of my book. Please let me know the correct answer to this question and demonstrate the method to get there. thank you

Originally Posted by skeske1234

A lawn roller with a mass of 50 kg is being pulled with a force of 320 N. If the handle of the roller makes an angle of 42 degrees with the ground, what horizontal component of the force is causing the roller to move?

So I ended up doing this:

490tan42=x
x=441 N

I got 490 by going 50 kg x 9.8

so I'm not sure if this is right because there are no answers in the back of my book. Please let me know the correct answer to this question and demonstrate the method to get there. thank you

I got 320cos42=237.8N . Resolve the force into horizontal component .

why did you multiply 50 with 9.8 ? That's the weight of the lawn roller .

"Resolve the force into horizontal component ."
how do you do this? didnt you already get the answer?

Originally Posted by skeske1234

"Resolve the force into horizontal component ."
how do you do this? didnt you already get the answer?

I mean i got 320cos42=237.8N br resolving the force horizontally .