Acceleration on an inclined plane

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the acceleration of two blocks connected by a cord over a massless pulley on an inclined plane. The first block, with a mass of 4 kg, is on a frictionless incline at a 30° angle, while the second block, with a mass of 2.3 kg, hangs vertically. The derived acceleration for the block on the incline (a1) is 5 m/s², and for the hanging block (a2), it is 10 m/s². The solution emphasizes the importance of using Free Body Diagrams to identify forces acting on each mass and ensuring both blocks share the same acceleration due to their connection.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's Second Law of Motion
  • Knowledge of Free Body Diagrams
  • Familiarity with trigonometric functions, specifically sine
  • Basic principles of pulleys and connected systems
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the application of Newton's Second Law in multi-body systems
  • Learn how to draw and analyze Free Body Diagrams for complex systems
  • Explore the effects of friction on inclined planes in physics problems
  • Investigate the dynamics of connected objects in pulley systems
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, particularly those focusing on mechanics, as well as educators looking for examples of inclined plane problems and pulley systems.

ANGLA
Messages
1
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


The question says "A block of mass 4kg on a friction less inclined plane at angle of 30° is connected by a cord over massless friction less pulley to a second block of mass 2.3kg hanging vertically. What is the magnitude of acceleration of each block."

Given
m1 = 4 kg
m2 = 2.3 kg
teta = 30°
g = 10 m/s*s(second square)

Required
a1 = ?
a2 = ?

Homework Equations



m1*a1 = m1gsin(teta)

The Attempt at a Solution



I drived the equation "a1 = gsin(teta)"

So a1 = 10m/s(square) * sin (30°)
a1 = 5 m/s(square)

For a2 i used 90° as the angle since it was vertical it creates a ninety degree.

So a2 = 10m/s(square) * sin90° = 10 m/s(square).

Please help me... i don't have any idea
 
Physics news on Phys.org
ANGLA said:
m1*a1 = m1gsin(teta)
That would be true if the only force on the sliding block was gravity. But there's a cord attached to it!

Draw Free Body Diagrams for each mass, identifying the forces that act on each.
 
since the 2 masses are connected they should have the same acceleration
 
Find the sum of the two forces (they are of different signs) and presume that they are acting on a single object with mass ##m_1 + m_2##. That way you get the acceleration which is same for both objects when the cord is unstretchable.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
10K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
3K
Replies
25
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
11
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K