Find distance up the incline?

An 8 kg block is shot up an incline of 30^@30with an initial speed of 2.8 m/s.  How far up the incline will the block travel if the coefficient of friction between it and the incline is 0.18?  
Hint:  Express the height above the ground that the block is above the incline in terms of the distance up the incline (hypotenuse).

2 Answers
Jun 28, 2017

I am not going to take the hint, because I am going to rotate the entire system so that the forces are described either normal to the inclined plane or parallel to the inclined plane.

Summing the forces normal to the plane

-F_"normal" + mvecgcos(30^@) = 0Fnormal+mgcos(30)=0

where vecgg is -9.8" m/s"^29.8 m/s2

F_"normal" = mvecgcos(30^@)Fnormal=mgcos(30)

Summing the forces parallel to the incline:

-vecF_"friction" + mvecgsin(30^@) = mveca" [1]"Ffriction+mgsin(30)=ma [1]

We know that vecF_"friction" = muF_"normal"Ffriction=μFnormal

-vecF_"friction" = 0.18mvecgcos(30^@)" [2]"Ffriction=0.18mgcos(30) [2]

Substituting equation [2] into equation [1]:

0.18mvecgcos(30^@) + mvecgsin(30^@) = mveca0.18mgcos(30)+mgsin(30)=ma

veca = 0.5vecg+0.18sqrt3/2vecga=0.5g+0.1832g

veca = (0.5+0.18sqrt3/2)vecga=(0.5+0.1832)g

veca = (0.5+0.18sqrt3/2)-9.8" m/s"^2a=(0.5+0.1832)9.8 m/s2

veca ~~ -6.43" m/s"^2a6.43 m/s2

Please notice that vecaa is a negative acceleration parallel to the plane, therefore, can use the equation V_f^2 - V_i^2 = 2asV2fV2i=2as

Where V_f= 0Vf=0, V_i = 2.8" m/s"Vi=2.8 m/s and ss is the distance along the plane:

-V_i^2=2asV2i=2as

s =(-V_i^2)/(2a)s=V2i2a

s= (-(2.8" m/s")^2)/(2(-6.43" m/s"^2)s=(2.8 m/s)22(6.43 m/s2)

s~~ 0.61" m"s0.61 m

Jul 27, 2017

Alternative solution.

Explanation:

Let the block of mass mm move a distance ss up the incline.
Initial energy of block is its kinetic energy=1/2mv^2=12mv2 ....(1)

As it moves up the incline this energy gets converted in to its potential energy and part energy is spent to overcome force of friction.

|vecF_"normal"| = mgcos30^@Fnormal=mgcos30
where acceleration due to gravity g=9.8" ms^-2g=9.8ms2

We know that vecF_"friction" = muvecF_"normal"Ffriction=μFnormal

:.F_"friction" = mumgcos30^@

Distance traveled against friction=s
Work done against friction ="Force"xx"distance"
=mumgcos30^@xxs .....(2)

Potential energy of block after traveling distance s along the incline=mgh=mg(ssin30^@) ......(3)

Using Law of conservation of energy we get from (1), (2) and (3)

1/2mv^2=mumgcos30^@s+mg(ssin30^@)
=>(mucos30^@+sin30^@)gs=v^2/2
=>s=v^2/(2g(mucos30^@+sin30^@))

Inserting various values we get
=>s=(2.8)^2/(2xx9.8(0.18xxsqrt3/2+1/2))
=>s=0.61m, rounded to two decimal places.