Kinetic Friction and Incline for a Car

  • #1
bartersnarter
13
0

Homework Statement


jkMNHCG.png


Homework Equations


friction:[/B] f = μN
incline angle: θ = arctan(1/10)
summation of forces in y: N - mgcosθ = 0
summation of forces in x: -f - mgsinθ = ma (?)

The Attempt at a Solution


For this problem, I set the x-axis going up the incline and the y-axis normal to said x-axis. When I drew the FBD, the part that did not make sense to me was the summation of forces in the x-axis. The question wants the car to accelerate UP the incline, but the two forces I draw for the FBD both point down the incline. One of the forces is the x-component of the weight, mgsinθ, and the other is the friction. I know the weight's x-component direction is right, so the wildcard is the friction. Isn't friction opposite to the direction of motion?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I just had a thought... is friction the force which drives the car forward? The wheels spin in the negative x-direction (with respect to the ground) so the friction points to the positive x-direction. If that were the case it would make a lot of sense!
 

Similar threads

Back
Top