Find the angle required for a 3kg block to slide down an incline

[zippyzay165]

Homework Statement

Hello, I'm a high school student and relatively new to learning physics. I've gotten a question that I'm stumped on.

Relevant Equations

F=mg
Fnet = ma

This is a rough sketch of the model.
It is frictionless.
I originally tried simple right-angle trig (sin θ =opp/hyp), but that just ends up as sin θ = sin θ , as well as cos θ = cos θ.

I feel like there's also a way to manipulate dynamic equations around to equate something that is capable of finding θ , but I haven't been able to compose one that proves anything yet. I would appreciate any help, thank you!

 

[haruspex]

Homework Statement:: Hello, I'm a high school student and relatively new to learning physics. I've gotten a question that I'm stumped on.
Relevant Equations:: F=mg
Fnet = ma

View attachment 264178
This is a rough sketch of the model.
It is frictionless.
I originally tried simple right-angle trig (sin θ =opp/hyp), but that just ends up as sin θ = sin θ , as well as cos θ = cos θ.

I feel like there's also a way to manipulate dynamic equations around to equate something that is capable of finding θ , but I haven't been able to compose one that proves anything yet. I would appreciate any help, thank you!

It looks to me as though you should have been given a coefficient of static friction and asked to find the minimum angle at which it will slide. Without friction, any nonzero angle will do.

 

[nrqed]

Homework Statement:: Hello, I'm a high school student and relatively new to learning physics. I've gotten a question that I'm stumped on.
Relevant Equations:: F=mg
Fnet = ma

View attachment 264178
This is a rough sketch of the model.
It is frictionless.
I originally tried simple right-angle trig (sin θ =opp/hyp), but that just ends up as sin θ = sin θ , as well as cos θ = cos θ.

I feel like there's also a way to manipulate dynamic equations around to equate something that is capable of finding θ , but I haven't been able to compose one that proves anything yet. I would appreciate any help, thank you!

Can you post what the question is? Are they asking to find the acceleration?

 

[zippyzay165]

It's asking to find the minimum angle required for the block to move down when it's frictionless.

 

[zippyzay165]

It looks to me as though you should have been given a coefficient of static friction and asked to find the minimum angle at which it will slide. Without friction, any nonzero angle will do.

coefficient seems to be 0...so does that mean there's a range of answers then?

 

[nrqed]

It's asking to find the minimum angle required for the block to move down when it's frictionless.

Then, as Haruspex pointed out, the answer is any angle greater than zero. If there is no friction, any tilt of the incline will make the block slide down, clearly. It is a strange question.