Train moving up inclined plane

[mrhobbes]

A train moving up an incline at 4 degrees has it's last train compartment detached. The train was moving at a speed of 5 m/s when the compartment breaks free. How far did the train get before the speed momentarily reaches zero?

No other information is given, but using all that was provided, I got a ridiculously small answer of 0.09 m. I got this by splitting up my speed into x and y components and then using the Vo(y) in the equation d= vf² - vo² / 2a to get my vertical displacement. I then used distance to get my inclined displacement by using sin 5 = y / r.

I checked the answer and it turns out that it was wrong. Could anyone give me any hints on how to solve the problem?

Thanks

 

[Delphi51]

Welcome to PF.
The question doesn't make much sense as written. Perhaps it means a train CAR breaks free from the back of the train. Without engine. How far does the CAR go up the hill?

It's initial speed is 5 m/s. Since it is going up the hill, its KE will soon be converted into PE. You could begin with
initial KE = final PE
.5*mv² = mgh
and quickly find the height reached from the initial position. You'll have to convert that into a (larger) distance along the ramp with a bit of trigonometry. I'm getting a little more than 18 m.

 

[mrhobbes]

Thank you so much. You were right.

 

[Delphi51]

Most welcome! Good luck with the next one.

 

[rwisz]

for sharing your approach to solving this problem. It seems like you have a good understanding of the physics principles involved. However, there may be some missing information that is needed to accurately solve this problem.

Firstly, we need to know the mass of the train and the compartment in order to calculate the forces acting on them. This will determine the acceleration of the train and how far it will travel before coming to a stop.

Secondly, we also need to know the coefficient of friction between the train wheels and the inclined plane. This will affect the amount of frictional force acting on the train and will also impact the final distance traveled.

Without this information, it is difficult to accurately solve the problem. I would suggest reaching out to the source of this problem to see if they can provide any additional information or clarifications. Alternatively, you could try making some assumptions and using reasonable values for the missing information to arrive at a solution. However, keep in mind that this may not be the most accurate or realistic approach.