Interactive Approach Subrata Bhattacharjee
, [US] Two thermodynamics books, each with a mass of 1 kg, are stacked one on top of another.
Neglecting the presence of atmosphere, draw the free body diagram of the book at the bottom
to determine the vertical force on its (a) top and (b) bottom faces in kN.
SOLUTION
(a) From the free body diagram of the book at the top, a
vertical force balance produces:
m kN
mg kg kN
F
s N
1
1000 2
mg
F1
19.81 0.00981 kN F1
1000 F1
(b) Using the free body diagram of the book at the bottom, mg
F2
mg
F F
kN
2 1
1000
F2
0.00981
19.81
0.01962
kN