Measuring Friction on a Sloping Track

[Oatmeal11]

1. I need to set up a lab. The goal is to find the force of friction between a track and a ball. The track is flexible and tilted so that it slopes down. Looking at it from the side, the track looks like half of a U. The ball is released from the top of the track and somehow I have to figure out the friction.


2. Force of friction=u* normal force
Fnet=ma
delta y =Voy*t+1/2at^2



]3. If I just found the mass of ball, roll it down the track and time it, then plug into the distance equation to solve for acceleration, then take that into the f=ma equation, would that give me the answer? I am not sure how the force of friction is related to the net force, or how to find this without knowing the coefficient of friction.

 

[danielakkerma]

Can you please elaborate on what the track looks like? Is it a parabola? Is its function known?
Give us also a bit more data on what you're allowed to measure, and when? Say the height of the ball at any given moment, or its position, velocity, what are you restrictions/limitations?
Daniel