A 120-kg refrigerator that is 2.0 m tall and 85 cm wide has its center of mass at its geometrical center. You are attempting to

Question

8 days ago

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A 120-kg refrigerator that is 2.0 m tall and 85 cm wide has its center of mass at its geometrical center. You are attempting to

slide it along the floor by pushing horizontally on the side of the refrigerator. The coefficient of static friction between the floor and the refrigerator is 0.30. Depending on where you push, the refrigerator may start to tip over before it starts to slide along the floor. What is the highest distance above the floor that you can push the refrigerator so that it will not tip before it begins to slide?
A.1.2 m

B.1.0 m

C.1.6 m

D. 1.4 m

E. 0.71 m

Physics

1 answer:

kicyunya [2.2K] · Answer 1 · 2026-03-17T18:57:51+03:00

To tackle this problem, it's essential to utilize the principles concerning the Force of Friction and Torque as defined by kinematic motion equations.

The force of friction is defined as

$F= \mu mg$

We have our values as such,[

$\mu=0.3$

$m=120kg$

$g=9.8m/s^2$

Performing substitution,

$F=0.30*120*9.8 = 352.8N$

Consider the center of mass of the refrigerator is halfway its height, which is d = 0.85 / 2 = 0.425 m. The torque about the farther lower corner of the refrigerator must be zero to achieve the maximum pulling distance, hence

$F*x = mg*d$