Another impossible question

1. Jan 1, 2006

VashtheStampede

a mass M slides down a fricitionless 30 degree incline. its speed is 24m/s as it leaves the incline.

a. What is the acceleration?

2. Jan 1, 2006

andrewchang

theres no other information...?

3. Jan 1, 2006

VashtheStampede

nope. there is not

4. Jan 1, 2006

VashtheStampede

theres more questions though.

b. what is the length of the incline?

c. how long does it take to reach to floor?

5. Jan 1, 2006

d_leet

Draw a free body diagram and apply newton's laws of motion and equations of kinematics.

6. Jan 1, 2006

Pyrrhus

Start off by applying Newton's 2nd Law.

You'll find the acceleration to be $g \sin \theta$

7. Jan 1, 2006

LeonhardEuler

Presumably they want the acceleration while the block is still on the incline, otherwise the problem would truly be impossible. But actully, it is not so bad. Choose a coordinate system with the x-direction directed along the incline and the y direction pointing out from the incline. The block is not moving in the y-direction since it is niether jumping off the incline nor passing through it. Since the velocity in this direction is always zero, so must the acceleration and therefore the force. So you can disregard this direction and only look at acceleration in the x-direction. There is only one force acting: gravity, acting at an angle. It's just a matter of some geometry to find this angle. Once you have it you have the force and therefore the acceleration.

8. Jan 1, 2006

andrewchang

the other two parts can be found using kinematics.

9. Jan 1, 2006

Mindscrape

Then just use kinematics.

10. Jan 1, 2006

Tide

(a) There is sufficient information to solve the problem.

11. Jan 3, 2006

VashtheStampede

i have no idea what kinematics are. teacher never said that word.

12. Jan 3, 2006