Free body diagrams for boxes, inclined planes and springs

In summary, the conversation discusses the forces acting on two objects, ##A## and ##B##, in two different scenarios. The first picture shows the forces acting on both objects, including the weight, normal force, and elastic force. In the second picture, the forces acting on ##A## and ##B## are discussed in relation to each other. The conversation also addresses the effects of the spring and the use of equations to calculate the desired values.
  • #1
Like Tony Stark
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Homework Statement
FIRST PICTURE
The body ##A## has a mass of ##6 kg##. It lies on the body ##B## which has a mass of ##14 kg##. There is no friction between these two bodies. Draw the free body diagram for both of them

SECOND PICTURE
A body ##A## of ##m=9.2 kg## slides down a body ##B## of ##m=17 kg##. ##B## doesn't move because of the force applied by the spring, which suffers a deformation of ##9 cm##. The friction between the two bodies is negligible. Draw the free body diagrams, determine the acceleration of ##A## with respect to ##B## and the elastic constant of the spring.
Relevant Equations
##W=m.g##
##W_x=m.sin(\alpha)##
##W_y=m.cos(\alpha)##
##F_e=-k \Delta x##
FIRST PICTURE
I have some doubts here because of the spring... I'll tell you what forces I've drawn. For ##A##, I drew the weight and the force applied by ##B## (the normal force) on the vertical axis; and the elastic force pointing to the right on the horizontal axis.
For ##B##, I drew the weight, the normal force and the force applied by ##A## on the vertical axis; on the horizontal axis I drew the force ##F## showed in the picture.
Is this correct? Because I don't know if the spring applies a force on ##B##, and in that case, I don't know what its direction would be.

SECOND PICTURE
For ##A##, if I take a coordinate system where the normal force is aligned with the vertical axis, I have the normal force and vertical component of the weight in the ##Y## axis and the horizontal component of the weight on the ##X## axis.
For ##B##, we have the normal force and the weight on the vertical axis; and the elastic force on the horizontal axis.

But I don't know what should I do with the data from ##B##, the spring doesn't affect ##A##, does it? Also, if there is no friction, shouldn't ##B## be moving to the left?
 

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  • #2
I believe that your thinking for the first picture is correct. Obviously, gravity must be acting upon both of the objects, and likewise, since both ##A## and ##B## are resting on surfaces, they must be experiencing some normal force. Now, we know from the figure that ##F## is applied to ##B##, which causes a spring force on ##A##. Now, from Newton's Third Law, we know that if the spring pushes on ##A## then ##A## must push back on the spring, and since the spring is attached to ##B##, the spring must exert a force onto it.

For the second problem, since ##B## exerts a normal force on ##A##, then ##A## must exert an equal and opposite force on ##B##, so the deformation of the spring due to the force of ##B## is related to the force that ##A## exerts on ##B##. So if you include this new force in your equations, you should be able to use the data provided to calculate the desired values with those new equations.
 
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1. What is a free body diagram?

A free body diagram is a visual representation of the forces acting on an object. It shows all the external forces acting on the object and their relative magnitudes and directions.

2. How do you draw a free body diagram for a box?

To draw a free body diagram for a box, you first need to identify all the external forces acting on the box. These may include weight, normal force, friction, and any applied forces. Then, draw a box to represent the object and draw arrows to represent the magnitude and direction of each force.

3. How do you draw a free body diagram for an inclined plane?

Drawing a free body diagram for an inclined plane follows the same steps as drawing one for a box. The only difference is that you need to take into account the angle of the incline and resolve the weight of the object into components parallel and perpendicular to the plane.

4. How do you draw a free body diagram for a spring?

A free body diagram for a spring includes the weight of the object attached to the spring, the spring force, and any other external forces acting on the object. The spring force is always directed opposite to the displacement of the spring from its equilibrium position.

5. Why are free body diagrams important in physics?

Free body diagrams are important in physics because they help us analyze the forces acting on an object and understand how those forces affect the object's motion. They also allow us to apply Newton's laws of motion to solve problems and make predictions about the behavior of the object.

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