Question
PRELIMINARY (Pre-lab) Questions-Acceleration on a Ramp Name, course and lab section: 1. Consider an object is placed on an inclined frictionless surface, such as perfectly smooth ice, as in the picture below. Write an expression for the acceleration g (Che x component of the freefall acceleration constant g) along the incline in terms of g and the angle (Theta) in this situation. mng 2. According to your result in Question I, what is the x-acceleration go if the angle 0 increases to 90° (Note that the coordinate system rotates along with 0.,) 3. What is the x-acceleration g if the angle 0 decreases to 0? 4. What happens to the x acceleration if the mass of the glider increases by so%? 5. What happens to the x-acceleration if the mass of the glider doubles?
Explanation / Answer
1)The net force on the object is:
Fnet = mg sin(theta) = ma
ma = mg sin(theta)
Hence, a = g(a) = g sin(theta)
2)Since sin90 = 1
g(a) = mg x 1 = mg
Hence, g(a) = mg
3)Sin0 = 0
g(a) = 0
4)new mass = m' = 1.5 m
g(a) = mg sin(theta)
g(a)' = 1.5 mg sin(theta)
g(a)/g(a)' = 1/1.5
g(a)' = 1.5 g(a)
5)now, m' = 2m
g(a)/g(a)' = 1/2
g(a)' = 2 g(a)