A truck is carrying a 120-kg refrigerator, which is 2.20 m tall and 85.0 cm wide has its center of mass at its geometrical center. The refrigerator is facing sideways and a short strip on the bed of the truck keeps the refrigerator from sliding. What is the maximum acceleration that the truck can have before the refrigerator begins to tip over?

The maximum acceleration that the truck can have before the refrigerator begins to tip over is 3.79 m/s^2

Explanation:

Mass of refrigerator, m = 120 kg

Refrigerator height, h = 2.2 m

Width of refrigerator, w = 85 cm = 0.85 m

acceleration due to gravity, g = 9.81 m/s^2

From the principles of moments, the refrigerator will start to tip at the point when the forces are balanced at the edge of the width.

Therefore, taking moments about the edge, where the weight acts at the geometric center, we have

m×g×w/2 = m×a×h/2

120×9.81×0.85/2 = 120×a×2.2/2

or a = 3.79 m/s^2