Lyzinski Physics

Inclined Plane Problems

FN

Ffriction

Fpush/pull

 Wperp

 W
W||

  ||
 Instead of an x-y coordinate system, inclined plane problems use a ________
coordinate system.
“Geometric”
 There is a _______________ explanation of the why the angles above are
both “theta”.

1. Draw the full free-body diagram of a block that is getting pushed DOWN an
inclined plane by a force parallel to the incline. Assume that the incline has
an angle of inclination of  degrees and that it’s NOT frictionless.

FN Fpush

Ffriction

  Wperp

W
W||
 2. Draw the full free-body diagram of a block that is getting pulled UP an
inclined plane by a force at an angle of  degrees above the inclined
surface. Assume that the incline has an angle of inclination of  degrees
and that it is NOT frictionless.
Fpull
FN Fy


Fx

Ffriction
 Wperp

W
W||

3. A 100 kg block is sitting on an incline plane whose angle of inclination is

10o. Find:

a) the parallel and perpendicular components of the force due to

gravity.
b) the normal force.
c) the force of friction that keeps the block from sliding.

FN W  mg  (100kg)(9.8 sm2 )  980 N

Ff
W||  W sin   mg sin   (100kg)(9.8 sm2 ) sin(10)  170.2 N
W  W cos   mg cos   (100kg)(9.8 sm2 ) cos(10)  965.1N

W
 F f  W||  170.2 N [uphill ]
 FN  W  965.1N

W||
W
 4. A 1000 kg car has its parking brake on because it is sitting on hill with a
20o slope. Find the force that the brake must apply to keep the car from
moving. Then, find the car’s normal force.

FN W  mg  (1,000kg)(9.8 sm2 )  9,800 N

Ff
W||  W sin   mg sin   (1,000kg)(9.8 sm2 ) sin(20)  3,351.8 N
W  W cos   mg cos   (1000kg)(9.8 sm2 ) cos(20)  9,209.0 N

W Fbrakes  W||  3,351.8 N [uphill ]


 FN  W  9,209.0 N

W||
W

5. A 4 kg block is put on a 25o inclined plane. Find the box’s acceleration

assuming a frictionless surface.

FN W  mg  (4kg)(9.8 sm2 )  39.2 N

Ff
W||  W sin   mg sin   (4kg)(9.8 sm2 ) sin(25)  16.6 N
F f  0 (frictionless)

W Fnet  W||  F f  16.6 N [downhill ]


 Fnet  ma  16.6 N  4kg  a  a  4.2 sm2 [downhill ]

W||
W
 6. An incline has an angle of inclination that is adjustable. A 20 kg block is
put on the incline and the angle is increased until the block begins to
slide. If the coefficient of static friction is 0.6 between the block and the
incline, find the angle that causes the block to slide.

W||  W sin   mg sin 

FN F f , static   s FN
Ff
FN  W  mg cos 
F f , static   s FN   s mg cos 


W the box will begin to slide when W||  F f , static

mg sin    s mg cos 
W|| sin    s cos 
W sin 
 s  tan    s    tan 1 (  )  tan 1 (.6)  31.0 o
cos 

7. A 70 kg skier is skiing down a hill with an angle of inclination of 20o. He has

newly waxed skis, which have a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.05 with the
snow. Find his acceleration, assuming that he is not using his ski poles, but is
instead skiing downhill under gravity’s force alone. How far will he travel in
10 seconds if he starts from rest?

W  mg  (70kg)(9.8 sm2 )  686 N

FN W||  W sin   mg sin   (70kg)(9.8 sm2 ) sin( 20)  234.626 N
Ff
W  W cos   mg cos   (70kg)(9.8 sm2 ) cos(20)  644.629 N
FN  W  644.629 N
F f  FN  (0.05)(644.629 N )  32.231N
W

 Fnet  W||  F f  234.626 N  32.231N  202.395 N [downhill ]

W|| Fnet  ma  202.395 N  70kg  a  a  2.9 sm2 [downhill ]

W
v1  0, t  10 s, a  2.891 sm2  d  12 a (t ) 2  v1 t  144.6m
 8. A 10 kg block of ice slides down a ramp 20 m long, inclined at 10° to the
horizontal.

a) If the ramp is frictionless, what is the acceleration of the block of ice?

b) If the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.10, how long will it take the block
to slide down the ramp, if it starts from rest?

W  mg  (10kg)(9.8 sm2 )  98 N
FN W||  W sin   mg sin   (10kg)(9.8 sm2 ) sin(10)  17.018 N
Ff
W  W cos   mg cos   (10kg)(9.8 sm2 ) cos(10)  96.511N
FN  W  96.511N
F f  FN  (.10)(96.511N )  9.651N

W
 frictionless case
 Fnet  W||  F f  17.018 N  0  17.018 N [downhill ]
Fnet
Fnet  ma  a  17.018 N  1.7 sm2 [downhill ]
m 10kg
W||
friction case
W Fnet  W||  F f  17.018 N  9.651  7.367 N [downhill ]
Fnet
Fnet  ma  a  7.367 N  0.7 sm2 [downhill ]
m 10kg

v1  0, d  20m, a  0.737 sm2  d  12 a (t ) 2  v1 t

t  2d  7.4 sec

a

9. A skier has just begun descending a 20° slope. Assuming that the coefficient of
kinetic friction is 0.10, calculate:

a) the acceleration of the skier.

b) his final velocity after 8.0 seconds.

W  mg
FN
Ff W||  W sin   mg sin 
W  W cos   mg cos 
FN  W  mg cos 
F f  FN  mg cos 
W

 Fnet  W||  F f  mg sin   mg cos 
Fnet  ma  mg sin   mg cos   ma  g sin   g cos   a
W||
W
a  g sin   g cos   (9.8 sm2 ) sin( 20)  (.10)(9.8 sm2 ) cos(20)  2.4 sm2 [downhill ]

v1  0, t  8s, a  2.431 sm2  v 2  v1  at  19.4m / s

 10. A 4kg box starts to slide on an incline of 25o. If the coefficient of kinetic friction on
the incline is 0.1, how fast and how far will the box travel in 5 seconds?

W  mg
FN
Ff W||  W sin   mg sin 

Fnet  W||  F f  mg sin   mg cos 

Fnet  ma  mg sin   mg cos   ma  g sin   g cos   a
W

 a  3.25m / s 2 [downhill ]

W||
v1  0, t  5s, a  3.25m / s 2  v 2  v1  at  16.3m / s
W
d  12 a(t ) 2  40.6m

11. A block of ice is placed on an inclined plane of 60o. Determine its

acceleration if the coefficient of friction is 0.2.
W  mg
FN W||  W sin   mg sin 
Ff W  W cos   mg cos 
FN  W  mg cos 
F f  FN  mg cos 

W
 Fnet  W||  F f  mg sin   mg cos 
 Fnet  ma  mg sin   mg cos   ma  g sin   g cos   a
W||
W a  g sin   g cos   (9.8 sm2 ) sin(60)  (.20)(9.8 sm2 ) cos(60)  7.507 sm2 [downhill ]
 12. What is the coefficient of friction of an object moving down at 35 o slope at a
constant speed of 12 m/s?

W  mg
FN W||  W sin   mg sin 
Ff W  W cos   mg cos 
FN  W  mg cos 
F f  FN  mg cos 

W
 constant velocity implies that Fnet  0

Fnet  W||  F f  mg sin   mg cos   0
W||
W mg sin   mg cos   sin    cos  tan   

  tan   tan(35)  0.7

13. A boy is pulling a 6 kg sled up a hill at a constant speed of 6 m/s. The hill has a
slope of 38o and a coefficient of friction of 0.2. Determine the force applied by
the boy in order to move the sled up the slope at a constant speed. Assume the
boy pulls with a force parallel to the inclined plane.

W  mg
FN F pull W||  W sin   mg sin 
W  W cos   mg cos 
FN  W  mg cos 
F f  FN  mg cos 
Ff
W

constant velocity implies that Fnet  0


W|| Fnet  F pull  W||  F f  0

W F pull  W||  F f  mg sin   mg cos 
 mg (sin    cos  )
 (6kg)(9.8 sm2 )(sin 38  (0.2) cos 38)  45.5 N
14. An object is sliding at 20 m/s when it encounters a 20 o hill with a coefficient of
friction of 0.15. How far up the hill does the object slide before coming to
rest?

W  mg
FN W||  W sin   mg sin 
W  W cos   mg cos 
FN  W  mg cos 
F f  FN  mg cos 
Ff
W

 Fnet  W||  F f  ma
 mg sin   mg cos   ma
W||
a   g sin   g cos   4.733 sm2
W

v1  20 ms , v2  0, a  4.733 sm2
v  v1
2 2
v2  v1  2ad  d  2  42.3m
2 2

2a