Calculating Acceleration On A Ramp

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the acceleration of a skateboarder moving down an inclined ramp. The ramp is set at an angle of 20 degrees, and the discussion includes the initial and final speeds of the skateboarder, the frictional force, and the weight of the student and skateboard combined.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of Newton's second law, questioning how to account for forces acting on the skateboarder, particularly the components of weight and friction. There is also a focus on understanding the direction of forces relative to the ramp's incline.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different aspects of the problem, including the correct interpretation of weight components and the effects of friction. Some guidance has been offered regarding the direction of forces, but no consensus has been reached on the approach to calculating acceleration.

Contextual Notes

Participants are considering the implications of the ramp's incline and the forces acting on the skateboarder, including the need to resolve the weight into components. There is an acknowledgment of the complexity introduced by the frictional force and the ramp's angle.

cameronpalte
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A student is skateboarding down a ramp that is inclined 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal. The speed of the skateboarder at the top of the ramp is 3.0 m/s and the speed of the skateboarder at the bottom of the ramp is 7.6 m/s. The frictional force between the ramp and the skateboard is 67 N.

(a) If the combined weight of the student and the skateboard is 654 N, determine the acceleration of the student/skateboard system.

I've tried f=ma saying that
(654)-(67) = 654/9.8 [a]

Would that work?
 
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don't forget to take into account the fact that the student is moving parallel to the surface of the ramp, while his weight is directed straight down. This means that only the component of his weight that is parallel to the surface of the ramp is going to affect his acceleration in that direction.
 
Which component of his weight would be parallel? I would assume that the 654 N of the combined weight would be?
 
"weight" is the force that a person (or object) feels due to gravity. Since gravity is always directed straight down, the force, and thus the weight, is directed straight down.
 

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