Calculating Maximum Static Friction: A Physics Lab Experiment

[xmflea]

This is from my physics lab.what we did was have a wooden block slide on a longer piece of wood that was laid flat on the table. the end of the wood had a pulley hanging over the edge of the table.hanging from the pulley was a hook and we had to see how much weight would get the wooden block to move.
the total mass of the wood block was 0.543kg, the mass of the hanger used to move the wood was 0.170kg. the force of the mass is 5.32N, while the weight Wh of the hanger is 1.67
the question asks me to calculate the maximum static friction Usmax (mu s max)

i tried u=F/N. i tried 0.543/5.32, i tried (0.543+0.170)/(5.32+1.67), i then tried multiplying instead of dividing

equations...The lab tells me to use F=ma to figure it out

 

[tiny-tim]

the total mass of the wood block was 0.543kg, the mass of the hanger used to move the wood was 0.170kg. the force of the mass is 5.32N, while the weight Wh of the hanger is 1.67
the question asks me to calculate the maximum static friction Usmax (mu s max)

i tried u=F/N. i tried 0.543/5.32, i tried (0.543+0.170)/(5.32+1.67), i then tried multiplying instead of dividing …

Hi xmflea!

(btw, you can either use kg, or N, but not both)

erm … F is for the hanger, N is for the block.

Try again!

 

[xmflea]

sorry,im not really sure what you're trying to tell me with your response.

 

[tiny-tim]

sorry,im not really sure what you're trying to tell me with your response.

Your 0.543/5.32 was the block mass over the block weight.