To determine which value in the table the normal force of the ground on the skier depends upon, let’s go through the relevant concepts step by step.
1. Understanding Normal Force:
- The normal force is the support force exerted upon an object that is in contact with another stable object. For a skier, this is the force exerted by the ground (or the slope) perpendicular to its surface.
- For an object in equilibrium on a flat surface, the normal force is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the weight of the object.
2. Components of Forces:
- The skier's weight acts vertically downward due to gravity.
- If the skier is on a slope, the normal force will still be dependent on the weight but adjusted by the angle of the slope in more complex scenarios.
3. Reviewing the Given Data:
- Mass: [tex]\(64 \, \text{kg}\)[/tex]
- Weight: [tex]\(608 \, \text{N}\)[/tex] (which equals mass times the gravitational acceleration: [tex]\( mg \)[/tex])
- Velocity: [tex]\(21 \, \text{m/s}\)[/tex], forward (irrelevant to normal force as it is a kinematic aspect, not affecting vertical forces directly)
- Force of skier pushing forward: [tex]\(45 \, \text{N}\)[/tex], forward (horizontal component)
- Force of friction: [tex]\(6 \, \text{N}\)[/tex], backward (horizontal component)
4. Determining the Normal Force Dependency:
- The normal force depends directly on the weight of the skier. This is because the weight directly invokes the gravitational pull that needs to be balanced out by the ground's support force.
- The velocity and horizontal forces (push forward and friction) do not directly impact the normal force as they influence the skier’s motion along the slope, not the vertical interaction with the ground.
Conclusion:
- Therefore, the normal force of the ground on the skier depends on the skier’s weight.
The correct answer is:
B. The skier's weight
