Pressure & Gravity: Help for Vietnam Student

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  • Thread starter Thread starter DirtMonster
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    Gravity Pressure
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding the relationship between pressure on an inclined plane and the gravitational force acting on an object. It includes concepts from physics such as force components and trigonometric functions, specifically sine and cosine, which are used to analyze these forces.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Technical explanation, Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about the concepts of sine and cosine in relation to forces on an inclined plane.
  • Another participant explains that the force of gravity acts directly downward, while the force on an inclined plane has components that are perpendicular and parallel to the surface, influenced by friction.
  • A further reply clarifies that sine and cosine are trigonometric functions used to calculate these force components, suggesting that a proper textbook would be beneficial for deeper understanding.
  • A participant references another discussion on inclined planes as a potential resource for further assistance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the definitions and roles of sine and cosine in the context of inclined planes, but the original poster's confusion indicates that there is still uncertainty regarding these concepts.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the original poster's confusion about sine and cosine, nor does it address any specific mathematical steps required to apply these concepts to the problem at hand.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students seeking clarification on the application of trigonometric functions in physics, particularly in the context of inclined planes and forces.

DirtMonster
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My teacher say: Comparisons between the pressure of an object on the inclined plane and the gravity of the object
But idk what is sin and cos means
I need help
THANKS
from: vietnam
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The force of gravity on an object will be directly down. The force applied to an object by an inclined place will be from two sources: The direct support of the object will be perpendicular to the inclined surface (with vertical and horizontal components) and from friction along the surface (also with vertical and horizontal components).

The sine and cosine of the angle of the inclination of the plane are used to compute those components.
 
DirtMonster said:
But idk what is sin and cos means
##\sin## and ##\cos## are the basic trignometric functions sine and cosine. Although there's no substitute for a proper high-school level textbook (this subject is usually covered after a second year of algebra and a year of geometry) googling for "intro to trig" will find enough to get you started.
 
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