(Often referred to as an inclined plane)
It begins to slide. The bigger q is, the more the box's acceleration will approach "g" or 9.8m/s/s.
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A box is put on a frictionless ramp.
(Often referred to as an inclined plane) It begins to slide. The bigger q is, the more the box's acceleration will approach "g" or 9.8m/s/s. |
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Of course, gravity provides a vector pointing straight down. |
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The surface also pushes back on the box (remember the 3rd law?). The angle q is between "mg" and "mgcosq". We know these two vectors must be the same length because the box is not moving into the plane; it only slides along it. The orange vector is called the "normal". |
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The box feels a net force down the plane, and acelerates that way. |
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Where did the sin & cos stuff come from? Well, look at the shapes involved here; they are 90° triangles, which we have already studied. |
