Section: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

39)
Which of the following expressions best approximates the work required to move the box with a mass m to the top of the ramp? (Assume that the ramp is frictionless)

1. mglcosT
2. mghsinT
3. mgdcosT
4. mgdsinT

This question asks the examinee to determine the work required to move a box from the bottom of a ramp to the top of a ramp. While a ramp provides a mechanic advantage, which reduces the force required to push the box to the top of the ramp, the work required to move the box using the ramp is the same amount of work required to lift the box to a height h without the use of a ramp. Therefore, the correct answer is mgdsinT, which is equal to mgh.