Solving a Puzzling Problem Involving Mass and Angle

[SnowOwl18]

Ok, here's a problem that stumps me. I'm not quite sure how to go about doing it...especially since there's an angle involved. I tried doing it before, but I forget what I tried...either way, the answer was wrong. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! )

----A mass M = 13.0 kg is suspended by a massless string from the ceiling of a van which is moving with constant acceleration a. If the string makes an angle theta = 11o with respect to the vertical, what is the acceleration a of the van?-------

 

[Pyrrhus]

Use Newton's 2nd Law

\sum^{n}_{i=1} \vec{F}_{i} = m \vec{a}

Do a Free Body Diagram, so you can get the acceleration of the Body hanging, which will be ?

 

[SnowOwl18]

hmm...but how do i incorporate the angle?

 

[Pyrrhus]

hmm...but how do i incorporate the angle?

Components of Tension.

 

[daveyp225]

By "Components of Tension", he means that the x & y components can be solved using trigonomotry.

To find the X component, it would be: Tension * Cos11
Y component: Tension * Sin11

Remember that there is also always a Y component of mg doing straight down.

Dave