Pushing a Heavy Cart Uphill: Physically Demanding Task in a Story

What physically demanding task did prisoners undertake involving a heavy cart in the story?

a. Pushing the cart uphill
b. Pushing the cart to a railroad
c. Pulling the cart with horses
d. Pushing the cart through a forest

Final answer:

Based on the context provided, the prisoners likely undertook the physically demanding task of pushing a heavy cart uphill, in relation to the exertion of carrying loads and utilisation of an inclining plane as a simple machine. So, the correct option is A.

Explanation:

Based on the contextual information provided, the physically demanding task that the prisoners undertook involving a heavy cart could be most closely related to pushing the cart uphill. In the first reference material, it's mentioned that Africans were forced to carry numerous possessions inland after disembarking from steamboats. This laborious task of carrying loads can relate closely to the exertion of pushing a heavy cart uphill.

The second reference material further emphasizes the concept of the inclining plane as a simple machine. It informs us that pushing a cart up an incline (hill) demands less exertion than lifting the same object straight up, albeit the work done remains the same in both scenarios. This again resonates with the strenuous task of pushing the cart uphill.

Although the other options (pushing the cart to a railroad, pulling the cart with horses, pushing the cart through a forest) could theoretically be possible in different stories or contexts, the information at hand does not provide specific evidence to support these scenarios.