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Physics

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  • $\begingroup$ I understand why it is cosθ but why cant it be secθ also? How could the amount of work be two different things? $\endgroup$
    – Ghoster
    Commented Nov 27, 2023 at 1:07
  • $\begingroup$ When resolving one force into two other forces, the convenient way to do that is to choose for the two other forces to be perpendicular to each other. If you make the right angle be at P, then the two forces will not be perpendicular, then the leg PN will also have some parallel component w.r.t. the displacement, and thus would also have to be included in the computation. The result will be the same, with much more difficult computation. $\endgroup$
    – naturallyInconsistent
    Commented Nov 27, 2023 at 5:19