Effects of changing the angle on an inclined plane

Homework Statement

for an assignment, we must investigate physics in context, my selected context is a log flume ride, focusing on the final slope. the height of the inclined plane is 13m, the hypotenuse is 17m and the horizontal length is 11m, calculated with a scale diagram and kinematics (for horizontal length) using trig, the angle between the slope and the ground is 50 degrees
I am negating friction for the entirety of this report.
vf (at bottom of the slope) = 16m/s
vi (at top of slope) = 0m/s
mass of log (with people) = 240kg
time taken to slide down the slope = 2.22s
acceleration = 7.5ms-2
Normal force = 1511.8
weight force = 2352

i have decided to find what would happen if the angle is increased to 60 degrees
inorder to keep within the dimensions of a right angled triangle, and to keep the height the same, the new triangle (with the angle of 60 degrees) the horizontal length would have to be 7.5m and the hypotenuse would have to be 15m while the height remains at 13m

my physics teacher was saying that when the angle is increased, then the log will 'fly' off the slope, something about the normal force being too great? I, however, do not understand why this is.
also, would I be correct in saying that when the angle is increased that the acceleration increases because a=g sin theta.

overall, what will happen to the log as it is moving down the slope with an increased angle and why?

Ep=Ek
Mgsintheta
mgcostheta

The Attempt at a Solution

I have worked all of these quantities out except the length of the slide (which was given) and the mass of the log (given) using kinematics, law of conservation of energy and free body force diagrams

Thank you!
[/B]

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Homework Helper

Homework Statement

for an assignment, we must investigate physics in context, my selected context is a log flume ride, focusing on the final slope. the height of the inclined plane is 13m, the hypotenuse is 17m and the horizontal length is 11m, calculated with a scale diagram and kinematics (for horizontal length) using trig, the angle between the slope and the ground is 50 degrees
I am negating friction for the entirety of this report.
vf (at bottom of the slope) = 16m/s
vi (at top of slope) = 0m/s
mass of log (with people) = 240kg
time taken to slide down the slope = 2.22s
acceleration = 7.5ms-2
Normal force = 1511.8
weight force = 2352

i have decided to find what would happen if the angle is increased to 60 degrees
inorder to keep within the dimensions of a right angled triangle, and to keep the height the same, the new triangle (with the angle of 60 degrees) the horizontal length would have to be 7.5m and the hypotenuse would have to be 15m while the height remains at 13m

my physics teacher was saying that when the angle is increased, then the log will 'fly' off the slope, something about the normal force being too great? I, however, do not understand why this is.
also, would I be correct in saying that when the angle is increased that the acceleration increases because a=g sin theta.

overall, what will happen to the log as it is moving down the slope with an increased angle and why?

Ep=Ek
Mgsintheta
mgcostheta

The Attempt at a Solution

I have worked all of these quantities out except the length of the slide (which was given) and the mass of the log (given) using kinematics, law of conservation of energy and free body force diagrams

Thank you! [/B]
Yes, the acceleration would be $g sinθ$. As to flying off the slope, it depends on the initial state. In your case the velocity at the top of the final slope is zero, so the log should stay in the flume. But, imagine the log sliding down the flume and then encountering a place where the slope suddenly increased. What would happen?