What is causing the horizontal acceleration of a ramp with a block on it?

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem involving a block and ramp on a table with no friction. The forces acting on the ramp are gravity, a vertical normal force from the table, and an angled normal force from the block, causing the ramp to always accelerate horizontally. However, this is impossible as there must be a force to cancel out the horizontal portion of the normal force from the block. The issue is resolved by considering the presence of friction between the block and ramp.
  • #1
Luonnos
2
0
I seem to be a bit stuck on a problem. Consider a block sitting on a ramp, both of which are on a table. Assume that the friction between the ramp and the table is 0. Then, the forces acting on the ramp are gravity, a vertical normal force from the table, and an angled normal force from the block. This would imply that the ramp is always accelerating horizontally, because there is nothing to cancel out the horizontal portion of the normal force from the block. This is simply impossible. What force or bad assumption am I forgetting about?
 
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  • #2
Why is it impossible? This is a non realistic problem that has no friction on the table.

The block slides down, producing an acceleration of the ramp to the left, while the block accelerates to the right.

Of course, if the block does not slide down, then there is friction between the block and the ramp. The direction of the force of the block on the ramp is down the incline...
 

Related to What is causing the horizontal acceleration of a ramp with a block on it?

1. What is a ramp?

A ramp is a sloped surface that is used to move objects from a lower level to a higher level. It is commonly used in construction, transportation, and accessibility for people with disabilities.

2. What forces act on a ramp?

The main forces acting on a ramp are gravity, normal force, and friction. Gravity pulls objects towards the center of the Earth, normal force is the force exerted by the ramp on the object, and friction is the resistance force that opposes motion.

3. How does the angle of a ramp affect the forces acting on it?

The steeper the angle of a ramp, the greater the force of gravity acting on an object. This can make it harder for an object to stay in place or move up the ramp. The angle of the ramp also affects the normal force, which increases as the angle increases, and the friction force, which decreases as the angle increases.

4. How do the forces on a ramp impact an object's motion?

The forces acting on a ramp can impact an object's motion in several ways. If the force of gravity is stronger than the normal force and friction, the object will slide down the ramp. If the normal force is stronger than gravity, the object will stay in place. If the force of friction is stronger than gravity, the object will move up the ramp. The net force will determine the direction and speed of the object's motion.

5. How can we calculate the forces on a ramp?

To calculate the forces on a ramp, we can use Newton's laws of motion. The force of gravity can be calculated using the mass of the object and the acceleration due to gravity. The normal force can be calculated using the weight of the object and the angle of the ramp. The force of friction can be calculated using the coefficient of friction and the normal force. These values can then be used to determine the net force and predict the motion of the object on the ramp.

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