Question

-Block A of Fig. P3-1 rests on a smooth (frictionless) surface. If the block weighs 25 lb, determine the force exerted on the block by the surface and the force P required to prevent motion of the block.

-Description of the figure: the block is sitting at an angle (with a slope of 3/8), with force P parellel to the incline.

This is my first statics problem and I'm having a lot of difficulty understanding the concept. Please answer with a lot of detail, even if it seems too simple... I figured out the angle of the incline: tan^-1(3/8) = 20.6 degrees. But now I'm at a total loss of how to setup the solution and the reasoning behind it.

Answer 1