Energy Problem, Inclined plane, friction and spring Please help

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics problem involving energy conservation, inclined planes, friction, and springs. The original poster describes a scenario where a 1 kg object slides down a frictionless inclined plane and then across a flat surface, experiencing friction before compressing a spring. They seek assistance in determining the maximum compression of the spring and the speed of the object halfway across the flat surface.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply energy conservation principles but expresses confusion regarding their calculations and results. They detail their work on forces and energy at different states of the object's motion. Some participants question the application of forces over the correct distances and the interpretation of energy changes during the object's motion.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing feedback on the original poster's calculations and suggesting corrections. There is a focus on clarifying the energy considerations and the distances over which forces act, indicating a productive exploration of the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating assumptions about the distances involved in the energy calculations and the effects of friction on the flat surface. The original poster's results are questioned, and there is an acknowledgment of potential misunderstandings in applying the principles of energy conservation.

Addie
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An object with mass 1 kg slides down a frictionless inclined plane of length 4 m set at an angle of 30 degrees. It then slides across a flat surface of length 1 m. While sliding across this surface the object experiences sliding friction with the coefficient of sliding friction being .6. It then strikes a spring with a spring constant of 1000 N/m. There is no friction present during the compression of the spring.

What is the maximum compression of the spring, assuming that the object does not stop before hitting the spring?

What is the speed of the object half way across the flat surface?

My answers just don't seem right... but here is my work maybe somebody out there can help...

State 1 is the ramp, there i got
F1= (mg)(sin30)=4.92 N

State 2 is the flat surface:
Etotal= Wc +Wnc
Etot=(F1 x 1 m) + (-Ffr x 1)
Et=(4.92 J) - (1kg x 9.81 m/s^2 x 1m x .6)
Et= -.981 J

State 3 is the spring:
W=1/2 k x^2
-.981 J= 1/2 (1000 Nm) x^2
x= ? because you can't square root negative obviously, so I did somethign wrong and suposeably the correct answer is x=.1655 m and v=5.77 m/s...but I want to figure out how to do the problem, because it seems I am not doing it right please help someone thanks...
 

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Addie said:
State 2 is the flat surface:
Etotal= Wc +Wnc
Etot=(F1 x 1 m) + (-Ffr x 1)

Here's your mistake. It should be:
Etot=(F1 x 4 m) + (-Ffr x 1)

The question says the inclined plane is 4m long, so F1 works through 4 m.
 
I thought that at first, but as the the block is moving along the the flat surface doesn't that force act on the 1 m flat surface not the incline surface?
 
Think in terms of energy. The initial energy is potential: [itex]mgh = mgd sin\theta[/itex]. That's the energy the block has as it begins its horizontal slide.
 

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