- #1
jstep
- 11
- 0
Homework Statement
a cart slides down an iced incline that is 159m high.
initial speed is 0m/s
acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2
neglect friction, air resistance
determine carts speed at the bottom of the hill
Homework Equations
v = u + at, but no time is mentioned
v^2 = u^2 + 2ah, if i treat it like freefall
The Attempt at a Solution
i don't hardly know where to start with this one, my first instinct was to break the two-dimensional motion into component vectors. but then i realized i don't have the length of the incline or even the angle of the incline, only the height.
i don't have any notion of time either, so i can't use v = u + at
i could treat it like freefall and use v^2 = u^2 + 2ah
v = sqrt(u^2 + 2ah), u = 0
v = sqrt((2)(9.8)(159))
v = 55.82 m/s
but i don't believe i can treat it like freefall, because aren't you supposed to be able to break up two-dimensional velocity into vectors that are completely independent of each other? and i believe the question is asking for the v in the x direction.
i'm not asking for an answer, i need to understand how to do it myself. but i don't think I'm approaching this problem with the right process. I think i just need a nudge in the right direction.
Thank you.
Last edited: