Serway & Jewett — The Laws of Motion: Problem 34

A block of mass 3.00 kg is pushed up against a wall by a force $\vec{P}$ that makes an angle of $\theta = 50.0^\circ$ with the horizontal as shown in Figure P5.34. The coefficient of static friction between the block and the wall is 0.250. (a) Determine the possible values for the magnitude of $\vec{P}$ that allow the block to remain stationary. (b) Describe what happens if $|\vec{P}|$ has a larger value and what happens if it is smaller. (c) Repeat parts (a) and (b), assuming the force makes an angle of $\theta = 13.0^\circ$ with the horizontal.