How Far Does the Sled Travel Before Stopping?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a girl coasting down a hill on a sled and then traveling on level ground before coming to a stop. The context includes concepts of kinetic friction, forces acting on the sled, and the need to determine the distance traveled before stopping.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the need to find the acceleration of the sled and the role of friction in the motion. There are questions about the information provided, specifically regarding the angle of the hill and the time taken to decelerate.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants expressing frustration over missing information and questioning the assumptions about the hill's angle and the forces involved. Some guidance has been offered regarding the types of forces acting on the sled.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that they feel the problem lacks sufficient information, particularly regarding the angle of the hill and the time for deceleration, which are critical for solving the problem.

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Homework Statement


A girl coasts down a hill on a sled, reaching level ground at the bottom with a speed of 6.2 m/s. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the sled’s runners and the hard, icy snow is 0.059, and the girl and sled together weigh 736 N.The acceleration of gravity is 9.81 m/s2 .
How far does the sled travel on the level ground before coming to a rest?


Homework Equations


Vf^2 = Vi^2 + 2ax

Ffr (force friction) = Coefficient of friction * Fn (normal force)

The Attempt at a Solution


I'm thinking that I have to find the acceleration of the girl and the sled, but I don't think that I am given enough information necessary to solve for that. I just do not know how to approach the problem.
 
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What kind of forces are involved that affect her motion?

What exactly you think you are not given?
 
I think that I need the angle of the hill she is sliding down to find out the acceleration because I certainly think that she is sliding down the hill, and I know that friction affects her motion.
 
I also know that there is acceleration involved at some point, but I don't know how long it took her to decelerate from 6.2 m/s to 0 m/s. I'm REALLY FRUSTRATED at this point because whenever I setup Force and Kinematic equations, I'm always missing TWO variables. I would like someone to HELP me. The problem, I think, fails to give me enough information....

Damion (sorry for the rant!)
 
Fg acts down on the sled while Fn keeps the sled on the ground. Ffr acts to the right because I assume she is moving to the left. However, is the hill at an angle? I think it is, but if it is, I don't know how to find the angle. PLEASE, SOMEBODY HELP!
 

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