Find car's acceleration based on a die's angle

  • Thread starter Thread starter PhysicslyDumb
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Acceleration Angle
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
2 replies · 3K views · last reply
PhysicslyDumb
Messages
4
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


A fuzzy die hanging from a string of a car's rear view mirror is deflected 15 degrees from the vertical. what is the car's acceleration if the die's mass is 250g


Homework Equations


basic forces equations
trig


The Attempt at a Solution



attempt attached as a .png
 
Attachments
  • Free-body force diagram of a hanging 250g die deflected 15 degrees from vertical, with tension 2.610N, vertical component 2.4525N and horizontal component 0.8926N; side notes show mg = 0.25 x 9.81, Fx = m.a giving a = 3.571m/s^2.
    car acceleration.png
    4.8 KB · Views: 616
Physics news on Phys.org
PhysicslyDumb said:

Homework Statement


A fuzzy die hanging from a string of a car's rear view mirror is deflected 15 degrees from the vertical. what is the car's acceleration if the die's mass is 250g

Homework Equations


basic forces equations
trig

The Attempt at a Solution



attempt attached as a .png

Homework Statement


Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution


You have an error in Fx ?

if that is a triangle with a 15o angle, then the opposite side is not what you said - much smaller. The hypotenuse isn't that big either ?

Other than that, your reasoning is good.

EDIT: looks like you used 20o
 
PeterO said:
You have an error in Fx ?

if that is a triangle with a 15o angle, then the opposite side is not what you said - much smaller. The hypotenuse isn't that big either ?

Other than that, your reasoning is good.

EDIT: looks like you used 20o

ahh right, the calculations are wrong, but is the method right?