Need help finding coefficient of friction on an incline plane/pulley

In summary: You must break these vectors into components parallel and perpendicular to the incline, and the latter will have the same magnitude. In summary, two objects connected by a string over a pulley have masses of 8.32 kg and 6.40 kg and an angle of 56° between them. When released from rest, the first object accelerates downward at 2.210 m/s2, requiring a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.1068 and a coefficient of static friction greater than 0.1068. The sketch may be out of scale, but it is most advantageous to use the x-axis as the axis along the incline and the y-axis perpendicular to it.
  • #1
bates.384
1
0

Homework Statement



Two objects are connected by a light string that passes over a frictionless pulley as shown in the figure below. m1 = 8.32 kg, m2 = 6.40 kg, and = 56°. When released from rest, m1 accelerates downward at 2.210 m/s2. For this to happen, the coefficient of kinetic friction must be [blank], and to even begin sliding in the first place the coefficient of static friction must be [greater than or less than] than [blank] .

link to figure http://www.webassign.net/userimages/SerPSE8-5-p-030-phi.png?db=v4net&id=208569

Homework Equations



F=ma
Fk=μN

The Attempt at a Solution



Ok here goes. I 'solved' this with great confidence, only getting wrong answers. Hopefully you guys can pinpoint where I went wrong.

So I started with drawing my FBD's and what not, and I want to find the Tension in the string first. I set this up by using m1, since it's hanging and should be fairly straightforward.

mg-T = ma
(8.32)(9.8)-T = (8.32)(2.21)
I got T = 63.1488N

After having that I figured I would use m2's forces in the x direction to solve for μ. I set up the equation by the following:

Fxnet = Tcos34-mgsin34-μmgcos34 = ma, and here I used acos34 since that would be the acceleration in the x direction. I solved and got μ = .1068 but that is the wrong answer. I am very confused.

Thank you in advance for all help!
 
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  • #2
bates.384 said:

Homework Statement



Two objects are connected by a light string that passes over a frictionless pulley as shown in the figure below. m1 = 8.32 kg, m2 = 6.40 kg, and = 56°. When released from rest, m1 accelerates downward at 2.210 m/s2. For this to happen, the coefficient of kinetic friction must be [blank], and to even begin sliding in the first place the coefficient of static friction must be [greater than or less than] than [blank] .

link to figure http://www.webassign.net/userimages/SerPSE8-5-p-030-phi.png?db=v4net&id=208569

Homework Equations



F=ma
Fk=μN

The Attempt at a Solution



Ok here goes. I 'solved' this with great confidence, only getting wrong answers. Hopefully you guys can pinpoint where I went wrong.

So I started with drawing my FBD's and what not, and I want to find the Tension in the string first. I set this up by using m1, since it's hanging and should be fairly straightforward.

mg-T = ma
(8.32)(9.8)-T = (8.32)(2.21)
I got T = 63.1488N
this looks good
After having that I figured I would use m2's forces in the x direction to solve for μ. I set up the equation by the following:

Fxnet = Tcos34-mgsin34-μmgcos34 = ma, and here I used acos34 since that would be the acceleration in the x direction. I solved and got μ = .1068 but that is the wrong answer. I am very confused.

Thank you in advance for all help!
The sketch is way out of scale if the interior angle at the top of the incline is 56 degrees, but so be it.
It is most advantageous to choose the x-axis as the axis parallel to the incline, and the y-axis as the axis perpendicular to the incline. This avoids all sorts of headaches when using conventional horiz and vert axes. When you use the x-axis as the axis along the incline, then the x comp of the weight is mgsin34, the friction x comp is umgcos34, but your known tension and acceleration act along the incline.
 

Related to Need help finding coefficient of friction on an incline plane/pulley

1. What is the coefficient of friction on an incline plane?

The coefficient of friction on an incline plane refers to the ratio of the force required to move an object along the plane to the weight of the object. It is a measure of the roughness of the surface and the strength of the contact between the object and the surface.

2. How do I find the coefficient of friction on an incline plane?

To find the coefficient of friction on an incline plane, you will need to measure the angle of the incline, the weight of the object, and the force required to move the object along the incline. Then, you can use the formula μ = F/mg, where μ is the coefficient of friction, F is the force required to move the object, m is the mass of the object, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

3. What factors can affect the coefficient of friction on an incline plane?

The coefficient of friction on an incline plane can be affected by several factors, including the roughness of the surface, the weight of the object, the angle of the incline, and any external forces acting on the object.

4. How does a pulley affect the coefficient of friction on an incline plane?

A pulley can reduce the coefficient of friction on an incline plane by distributing the weight of the object between two surfaces. This reduces the amount of force required to move the object and therefore decreases the coefficient of friction.

5. Can the coefficient of friction on an incline plane/pulley be greater than 1?

Yes, the coefficient of friction on an incline plane/pulley can be greater than 1. This means that the force required to move the object is greater than the weight of the object, indicating a high level of friction and a more difficult movement along the incline.

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