What Angle Does the Plumb Bob Make with the Vertical on a Sliding Frame?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on determining the angle that a plumb bob makes with the vertical while suspended from a frame sliding down a frictionless inclined plane. The problem is rooted in Newton's Laws, specifically addressing the concepts of inertia and forces acting on the plumb bob. The solution involves setting the tension (T) equal to the gravitational force (Fg), leading to the conclusion that tan(theta) equals tan(alpha), where theta is the angle of the incline and alpha is the angle of the plumb bob.

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Homework Statement


A plum bob suspended from a frame settles to a steady position as the frame slides down a frictionless inclined plane. What is the angle the plumb bob makes with the vertical during the slide?
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/2128/442by1.th.jpg http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php


Homework Equations


The problem is from a section introducing Newton's Laws. I assume this problem is about inertia.


The Attempt at a Solution


Utterly no idea how to go about this, although I assume the answer is alpha=theta since that's the clean way the answer could come out.
 
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I figured it out. Set T to Fg and the T and m cancel out, leaving tan(theta)=tan(alpha)
 

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