What is the acceleration of a snowboarder when turning on a slope?

In summary, the snowboarder is cruising down a hill at 20 mi/h when he sees a big tree ahead and turns his board 35 degrees to the right. His acceleration is 4.9 m/s/s down the hill, but decreases to 3.8 m/s/s when he turns 35 degrees to the right.
  • #1
rugalas
2
0
Say a 70kg snowboarder is cruising straight down a hill at 20 mi/h. The slope of the hill is due south and at a 30 degree angle. The snowboarder sees a big tree ahead and turns his board 35 degrees to the right.

What is the snowboarders acceleration while going straight?
What is the snowboarders acceleration after having turned 35 degrees?


Thanks
 
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  • #2
Are you including air resistance and friction of the snow?
PS: If this is your HW feel free to post it in the HW forum.

Tachyon.
 
  • #3
This is not for homework, I finished uni a few years ago. I'm just studying physics for myself and I have had a bit of difficulty conceptualising this particular problem. I'm not including air resistance, but friction, yes and no. No in the sense of friction slows you down depending on the friction coefficient. But sort of yes, because when the board is at an angle it seems to me the friction will vary along the edge of the board and this variance will of course affect the direction of the acceleration.

If the boarder is going straight down the incline(ignoring friction) here's what I'm getting:

Fgrav = m * g = (70 kg) * (9.8 m/s/s) = 686 N
Fparallel = 686 N * sin (30 degrees) = 343 N
acceleration = Fparallel / m = (343 N) / (70 kg) = 4.9 m/s/s, down the incline

Hopefully that's right. The problem is when the boarder turns 35 degrees to the right. Because although the slope is 30 degrees, the boarder is now facing an angle less than 30 degrees in terms of slope, and now there is a 35 degree angle between the board and Fparallel as well.

So here I have problems, how do you calculate the "slope" of the board? How do you calculate the force that gravity drags the board along the diagonal? What kinds of friction are there going to be at the front of the board and the forward facing side since they are now at an angle? If you know any online resources that would be great as well because all I find is stuff http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/vectors/u3l3e.html" [Broken] which deal with the 2d case and not 3d slopes.

Thanks
 
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What is physics on a slope?

Physics on a slope refers to the study of objects or systems in motion on an inclined surface. This includes understanding the forces and motion involved in objects sliding or rolling down a slope.

What are the key factors that affect physics on a slope?

The key factors that affect physics on a slope include the angle of the slope, the mass and shape of the object, and the presence or absence of friction.

How does the angle of the slope affect physics on a slope?

The angle of the slope affects physics on a slope because it determines the direction and magnitude of the force of gravity acting on the object. A steeper slope will result in a greater force of gravity and a faster acceleration of the object.

What is the role of friction in physics on a slope?

Friction plays a significant role in physics on a slope as it opposes the motion of the object and can slow it down or bring it to a stop. The amount of friction depends on the roughness of the surface and the weight and surface area of the object.

How is the motion of an object on a slope calculated?

The motion of an object on a slope can be calculated using principles of Newton's laws of motion and kinematics. This involves considering the forces acting on the object, such as gravity and friction, and using equations to determine the object's acceleration, velocity, and displacement.

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