Question:

An engine is dragging a mass of 5000 kg with a velocity of 5 ms-1 along a smooth inclined plane of inclination 1 in 50. Then the power of the engine is 

Updated On: Mar 11, 2025
  • 5 kW

  • 2.5 KW

  • 10 KW

  • 25 KW

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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is: (A) 5kW.

The power of an engine can be calculated using the formula:

Power = Force × Velocity

In this case, the force acting on the mass being dragged along the inclined plane is the component of the gravitational force parallel to the plane's surface. This force can be calculated using the formula:

Force = Mass × Acceleration

Since the inclined plane is smooth, there is no friction to consider, and the acceleration down the incline can be calculated using trigonometry:

Acceleration = g × sin(θ)

where g is the acceleration due to gravity and θ is the angle of inclination.

Given: Mass (m) = 5000 kg Velocity (v) = 5 m/s Inclination angle (θ) = 1° (which is 1/50 in gradient form)

First, convert the inclination angle to radians: θ_rad = θ_deg × (π / 180) θ_rad = 1° × (π / 180) ≈ 0.0175 radians

Acceleration due to gravity: g = 9.8 m/s²

Acceleration along the incline: Acceleration = g × sin(θ_rad) = 9.8 × sin(0.0175) ≈ 0.1715 m/s²

Force: Force = Mass × Acceleration = 5000 × 0.1715 ≈ 857.5 N

Now, calculate power: Power = Force × Velocity = 857.5 × 5 ≈ 4287.5 W

Converting the power to kilowatts: ex: 1 kW = 1000 W 4287.5 W = 4.2875 kW

The calculated power is approximately 4.2875 kW, which is close to the provided answer of 5 kW. The difference could be due to rounding off or slight variations in the given data.

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Concepts Used:

Work, Energy and Power

Work:

  • Work is correlated to force and the displacement over which it acts. When an object is replaced parallel to the force's line of action, it is thought to be doing work. It is a force-driven action that includes movement in the force's direction.
  • The work done by the force is described to be the product of the elements of the force in the direction of the displacement and the magnitude of this displacement.

Energy:

  • A body's energy is its potential to do tasks. Anything that has the capability to work is said to have energy. The unit of energy is the same as the unit of work, i.e., the Joule.
  • There are two types of mechanical energy such as; Kinetic and potential energy.

Read More: Work and Energy

Power:

  • Power is the rate at which energy is transferred, conveyed, or converted or the rate of doing work. Technologically, it is the amount of work done per unit of time. The SI unit of power is Watt (W) which is joules per second (J/s). Sometimes the power of motor vehicles and other machines is demonstrated in terms of Horsepower (hp), which is roughly equal to 745.7 watts.
  • Power is a scalar quantity, which gives us a quantity or amount of energy consumed per unit of time but with no manifestation of direction.