Find Acceleration of a sliding object

In summary, the block of ice will have an acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2 when it is dropped from a height of 30 cm onto a surface that has a coefficient of friction of 0.5
  • #1
dhymas
8
0
URGENT! Find Acceleration of a sliding object

Homework Statement


A 42 kg block of ice slides down a 30 degree plane. Assuming friction is negligible, what is the acceleration of the block down the incline


Homework Equations


F=ma
W=mg



The Attempt at a Solution


I have drawn the right free body diagram. I adjusted the x and y-axis so that the x-axis lines up with the incline. I am just stuck as to how to approach this problem. I am assuming I will be using F=ma and solving for a. I'm just confused because I don't really know how to find F. I have found the x and y components of the W (weight) of the free body with the 30 degree.
 
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  • #2


what do you think will be the component of force along the incline?
 
  • #3


We have just been taught about force of friction. I know that the incline is very important in determining acceleration
 
  • #4


Weight will also be another force that will be important
 
  • #5


The problem with Force of Friction is that the problem states that it is a frictionless surface
 
  • #6


here there is no friction as its an ice block

use weight to find the the force on block along the incline
 
  • #7


show us the free body diagram.
 
  • #8


dhymas said:
Weight will also be another force that will be important

Let's say two objects are dropped at the same time. One weighs 1kg and the other weighs 100kg and wind resistance isn't a factor. Which one hits the ground first? My point is: weight doesn't change how fast something accelerates towards the ground (unless friction is involved)

you will only need to use weight to find the normal force when you're drawing the FBD. Since there is no friction, you don't need to multiply the normal force by the coefficient of friction.

to solve this, you'll need to use trig to figure out what a 9.8 m/s^2 downward acceleration would be when the object doesn't go straight down but rather down a 30 degree slope
 

1. What is acceleration?

Acceleration is the rate at which an object changes its velocity. It can be described as the change in velocity over a certain period of time.

2. How is acceleration calculated?

Acceleration can be calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the time it took for that change to occur. The formula for acceleration is a = (vf - vi)/t, where a is acceleration, vf is final velocity, vi is initial velocity, and t is time.

3. What is the difference between average acceleration and instantaneous acceleration?

Average acceleration is the overall change in velocity over a period of time, while instantaneous acceleration is the acceleration at a specific moment in time. Instantaneous acceleration can be calculated by finding the slope of the velocity-time graph at a specific point.

4. How does the mass of an object affect its acceleration?

The mass of an object does not directly affect its acceleration. However, a larger mass may require more force to accelerate it at the same rate as a smaller mass. This is described by Newton's second law of motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma).

5. What are some real-world examples of objects experiencing acceleration?

Objects experience acceleration in many situations, such as a car speeding up or slowing down, a ball rolling down a hill, or a person jumping off a diving board. Any time there is a change in velocity, there is acceleration.

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