Calculating Final Speed of 2.00kg Block of Ice Sliding Down Inclined Plane

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a block of ice with a mass of 2.00 kg sliding down an inclined plane at an angle of 36.9 degrees. The task is to determine the final speed of the block after sliding a distance of 0.750 m, with friction being ignored.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster expresses uncertainty about how to approach the problem, considering the initial conditions and the need to connect various parameters. Some participants suggest calculating the component of the weight acting down the slope and applying Newton's second law, while others propose using conservation of energy as a potentially simpler method.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided guidance on different methods to approach the problem, including both force analysis and energy conservation. There is a recognition of the effectiveness of energy conservation, although one participant notes potential pitfalls associated with this approach. The discussion reflects a mix of interpretations and methods being explored.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating the problem with the constraints of initial conditions and the requirement to ignore friction. There is an emphasis on understanding the relationship between forces and energy in the context of the problem.

EvanQ
Messages
56
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



A block of ice with mass 2.00kg slides 0.750m down an inclined plane that slopes downward at an angle of 36.9degrees below the horizontal.

f the block of ice starts from rest, what is its final speed? You can ignore friction.

Homework Equations



F=ma, trig equations.

The Attempt at a Solution



not really sure how to tackle this one.
i have initial velocity of 0, angle, mass and distance, but i can't figure out how to tie it all together.

should i be tackling it one dimension at a time? seeing as i know the vertical acceleration and angle?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Find the component of the downward force (weight) in the direction of the slope.
Then just f=ma to get the acceleration and v^2 = u^2 + 2as to get final speed.

Or from conservation of energy. Find the vertical distance equivalent to 0.75m at 36.9deg
then use PE = mgh = KE = 1/2 mV^2
 
sweet thanks heaps.
used the conservation formula and got 2.97m/s which was correct.
 
My tip is to always use energy conservation if you can. It's a lot simpler than getting all the forces in the right directions and less prone to errors.
 
I always use that work-energy equation. (Assuming that there's nothing like potential energy)

I guess, energy conservation can sometimes put you in trouble.
 

Similar threads

Replies
3
Views
3K
Replies
30
Views
3K
Replies
12
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
4
Views
4K
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
6K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
5K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K