Forces acting on Body Moving on a Horizontal Plane
The force pushing - or pulling - a body along a horizontal surface can be expressed as
Q = F cos(α) (1)
where
Q = force moving the body in horizontal direction (N, lb)
α = angle between force F and horizontal plane
The force acting in vertical direction can be calculated as:
P = (F2 - Q2)1/2 (2)
where
P = force acting in vertical direction (N, lb)
Example - Strong Man Pulling a Truck
A "strong man" is pulling a truck by exerting a force of 1000 N. The force is acting 30o to the horizontal plane.
The horizontal force on the truck can be calculated as
Q = (1000 N) cos(30o)
= 866 N
= 0.87 kN
The vertical force "lifting" truck can be calculated as
P = ((1000 N)2 - (866 N)2)1/2
= 500 N
= 0.5 kN
Horizontal and Vertical Force Calculator
The calculator below can used to calculate the horizontal and vertical forces:
Related Topics
• Mechanics
The relationships between forces, acceleration, displacement, vectors, motion, momentum, energy of objects and more.
Related Documents
Acceleration of Gravity and Newton's Second Law
Acceleration of gravity and Newton's Second Law - SI and Imperial units.
Bodies Moving on Inclined Planes - Acting Forces
Required forces to move bodies up inclined planes.
Friction - Coefficients for Common Materials and Surfaces
Find friction coefficients for various material combinations, including static and kinetic friction values. Useful for engineering, physics, and mechanical design applications.
Mass vs. Weight
Mass vs. weight - the Gravity Force.