Answer: 1960 N
Explanation:
The bear is sliding down at constant velocity: this means that its acceleration is zero, so the net force is also zero, according to Newton's second law:
[tex]F_{net}=ma=0[/tex]
There are two forces acting on the bear: its weight W, pulling downward, and the frictional force Ff, pulling upward. Therefore, the net force is given by the difference between the two forces:
[tex]F_{net}=W-F_f=0[/tex]
From the previous equation, we find that the frictional force is equal to the weight of the bear:
[tex]F_f=W=mg=(200.0 kg)(9.8 m/s^2)=1960 N[/tex]
