- #1
OME9A
- 14
- 0
Why is the magnitude of acceleration on a ramp greater on the way up than it is on the way down? I can't figure it out... I was thinking maybe it has something to do with the initial force applied to the cart on the way up the ramp?
So that you know exactly what I mean: If I have a cart motionless at the bottom of the ramp, and I apply ONE force (me pushing it and then immediately letting go) so that it goes up the ramp and then comes back down, the magnitude of acceleration is greater on the way up than it is coming back down... But the only constant forces acting on it are gravity, the normal, and friction, none of which change on the way up VS the way down...
So that you know exactly what I mean: If I have a cart motionless at the bottom of the ramp, and I apply ONE force (me pushing it and then immediately letting go) so that it goes up the ramp and then comes back down, the magnitude of acceleration is greater on the way up than it is coming back down... But the only constant forces acting on it are gravity, the normal, and friction, none of which change on the way up VS the way down...