Ice skater coefficient of friction with unknown mass

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
Sign up Log in
4 replies · 16K views
tod88
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Finding Coefficient of Friction [solved]

Homework Statement



A girl is ice skating at 10 m/s. She stops skating and glides to a stop in 100m. Find the coefficient of friction of the ice.

Homework Equations



uk = Fk / Fn
F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution



I found the acceleration to be -1/2 m/s^2 since

Vf^2 = Vi^2 + 2a * displacement
so
-100 / 200 = a.

Since it didn't give me her weight I don't know how to find gravitational force on her. If the surface were frictionless her acceleration would be zero.

Since her acceleration isn't zero and it takes her 20 seconds to come to a stop, I know that there must be a uk and that it also must be very small. Without her weight, however, I'm lost. Can someone point me in the right direction?
 
Last edited:

Discussion

Physics news on Phys.org
you know the gravitational acceleration.

Ff=(mu)Fn

Fn=Fg

An=Ag

take out the masses, since they are constant
 
Substitute the formulas for Fk and Fn into the formula for [tex]\mu[/tex]
 
fliinghier said:
you know the gravitational acceleration.

Ff=(mu)Fn

Fn=Fg

An=Ag

take out the masses, since they are constant

Okay, so

Ff=(mu)9.81 m/s^2

and the acceleration of the skater is -1/2 m/s^2.

I'm not sure what the An = Ag means. Normal acceleration equals acceleration due to gravity?

Does this mean that if force is mass * acceleration and the masses are the same I can just do Ff=(mu)*Fn (letting the mass be 1)

(1)(-1/2 m/s^2) = (mu)(1)(9.81 m/s^2)

SO then (mu) = 0.051?
 
Last edited:
As I said, write out the full formula. You will see that the masses cancel, leaving just the accelerations.

Your calculations appear to be correct to me.