How Does Table Inclination Affect Puck Movement in Air Hockey?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the effects of table inclination on puck movement in air hockey. A physics student observes that a puck traveling at 3.80 m/s along a 1.67 m table drifts 2.44 cm to the right, indicating the table is not level. The student attempts to calculate the angle of inclination using trigonometric principles but initially arrives at an incorrect angle of 1 degree. The correct approach involves analyzing the forces acting on the puck and understanding the relationship between the angle of inclination and the resulting drift.

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  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, particularly motion and forces.
  • Familiarity with trigonometric functions and their applications in physics.
  • Knowledge of free body diagrams and how to analyze them.
  • Basic understanding of kinematics, including velocity and displacement.
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  • Study the principles of inclined planes in physics.
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  • Research the relationship between angle of inclination and frictionless motion.
  • Explore kinematic equations to calculate time of travel and displacement in inclined scenarios.
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This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of motion on inclined surfaces, particularly in the context of air hockey and similar applications.

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Inclination of a Table-PLEASE HELP

A physics student playing with an air hockey table (a frictionless surface) finds that if she gives the puck a velocity of 3.80 m/s along the length ( 1.67 m ) of the table at one end, by the time it has reached the other end the puck has drifted a distance 2.44 cm to the right but still has a velocity component along the length of 3.80m/s . She concludes correctly that the table is not level and correctly calculates its inclination from the above information.

I converted the 2.44 cm to meters, which would then be .0244 m. And then I'm not sure what do after that. I attempted to find the angle with the 1.67 m being the hypotonese and the .0244 to be the adjacent. This however gave the answer to be 1 degrees. Which is incorrect. I don't really know where to begin?

g is given as 9.8 m/s^2
 
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Draw a freebody diagram of the puck... what are the forces acting on it? What is the force acting along the direction of displacement?

First how long does it take the puck to make the trip...

Suppose the table was inclined at an angle theta. How much would it drift in terms of theta. What is the force that is making it drift?
 

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