Acceleration down a frictionless ramp- what does a y represen in this case?

In summary, the acceleration down a frictionless ramp is constrained and the main acceleration vector points straight down, with ax representing the acceleration vector that determines the object's movement through space. The meaning of ay in this case is unclear, but it could potentially represent the acceleration of gravity if the object were not constrained by the ramp.
  • #1
Kalibasa
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Acceleration down a frictionless ramp- what does ay represen in this case?

I wish I could upload a picture or something, but I don't have a scanner! I'm looking at an object moving down a frictionless ramp; the main acceleration vector points straight down, ax of course is parallel to the ramp, and ay is pointing back "into" the ramp at an angle. It seems like ax here takes the place of a in other problems (it's the acceleration vector that actually tells you how the object is moving through space). Is this right? But then I don't understand what ay is in this case! If on a normal axis ay tells you how fast the object is accelerating in a vertical direction, what does it actually mean in this case? How can an object accelerate, even in part, back into a ramp?

I'm seriously confused! Thanks :)


(PS Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but I'm not really doing homework, I'm just trying to understand the concept... let me know if I should have posted elsewhere)
 
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  • #2


You're right to be confused. A force vector can point into the ramp, but not an acceleration vector. The motion is constrained. Acceleration is a property of motion, and is the result of forces. Perhaps the acceleration is the "acceleration of gravity", which is not actually an acceleration. The acceleration of gravity is what the acceleration of the object would be if it were unconstrained.
 
  • #3


Hello, thank you for your question. In this case, the y component of acceleration (ay) represents the acceleration in the direction perpendicular to the ramp, which is also known as the normal direction. This means that the object is accelerating towards the surface of the ramp, which can be seen as the object moving closer to the ramp as it goes down. This acceleration is caused by the force of gravity acting on the object, which is always directed towards the center of the Earth.

The x component of acceleration (ax) represents the acceleration in the direction parallel to the ramp, which is also known as the tangential direction. This component of acceleration determines how fast the object is moving along the ramp. In this case, since the ramp is frictionless, there is no force acting in the x direction, so the object will maintain a constant velocity in that direction.

I hope this helps to clarify the concept for you. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask. And no need to apologize, this is the right forum for your question. Good luck with your studies!
 

What is acceleration down a frictionless ramp?

Acceleration down a frictionless ramp is the change in velocity of an object as it moves down a ramp without experiencing any frictional force.

How is acceleration calculated down a frictionless ramp?

Acceleration down a frictionless ramp can be calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the time it takes for the object to move down the ramp.

What does "y" represent in the case of acceleration down a frictionless ramp?

In the case of acceleration down a frictionless ramp, "y" represents the vertical component of the acceleration vector, as the ramp is inclined at an angle.

How does the angle of the ramp affect acceleration?

The angle of the ramp affects the acceleration down the ramp as it determines the magnitude of the gravitational force acting on the object, which is a component of the acceleration.

Is the acceleration down a frictionless ramp constant?

Yes, the acceleration down a frictionless ramp is constant, as there are no external forces acting on the object to change its velocity. This is known as uniform acceleration.

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