A makeshift sign hangs by a wire that is extended over an ideal pulley and is wrapped around a large potted plant on the
roof as shown in the figure below. When first set up by the shopkeeper on a sunny and dry day, the sign and the pot are in
equilibrium. The mass of the sign is 27.5 kg, and the mass of the potted plant is 67.5 kg.
Plant
sale
today!
(a) Assuming the objects are in equilibrium, determine the magnitude of the static friction force experienced by the
potted plant.
N
(b) What is the maximum value of the static friction force if the coefficient of static friction between the pot and the
roof is 0.707?
N