Calculating Dynamics: Newton's Laws and Friction on a Stair-Slider

In summary, John the stair-slider was recently photographed sliding down a staircase. He has a mass of 98.0 kg when sitting on a carpet lubed up on the bottom with a kg of butter. The staircase is 8.2 meters long and makes an angle of 43 degrees with the horizontal. The butter reduces his frictional force to 50.0 N. Stavro begins his slide by running, grabbing his carpet, and launching himself on the stairs with a velocity of 4.89 m/s. Determine:A) John's acceleration (Draw a Force Diagram of the system to help you)B) How long is takes John to reach the bottom of the stairsC) John's
  • #1
struby3
4
0
"John" the stair-slider was recently photographed sliding down a staircase. He has a mass of 98.0 kg when sitting on a carpet lubed up on the bottom with a kg of butter. The staircase is 8.2 meters long and makes an angle of 43 degrees with the horizontal. The butter reduces his frictional force to 50.0 N. Stavro begins his slide by running, grabbing his carpet, and launching himself on the stairs with a velocity of 4.89 m/s. Determine:

A) John's acceleration (Draw a Force Diagram of the system to help you)
B) How long is takes John to reach the bottom of the stairs
C) John's velocity at the bottom of the stairs


HELP ME PLEASE! i don't really know where to start
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Please show some kind of mental effort in working through the problem. What parts make sense, what equations are you working with... Nothing in your text gives you clues?
 
  • #3
A) Newtons law states that F = MA. Force = mass * acceleration. Since mass is constant throughout, as acceleration increases, what happens to the force?
 
  • #4
Also, is this really "advanced physics"?
 
  • #5
struby3 said:
"John" the stair-slider was recently photographed sliding down a staircase. He has a mass of 98.0 kg when sitting on a carpet lubed up on the bottom with a kg of butter. The staircase is 8.2 meters long and makes an angle of 43 degrees with the horizontal. The butter reduces his frictional force to 50.0 N. Stavro begins his slide by running, grabbing his carpet, and launching himself on the stairs with a velocity of 4.89 m/s. Determine:

A) John's acceleration (Draw a Force Diagram of the system to help you)
B) How long is takes John to reach the bottom of the stairs
C) John's velocity at the bottom of the stairs


HELP ME PLEASE! i don't really know where to start
Easy! Since it was Stavro who slid down the stairs, John will have no acceleration, will never reach the bottom of the stairs and will have no velocity at the bottom of the stairs!
 
  • #6
Stavro? i don't understand
 
  • #7
Stavro is the guy in the problem.
 
  • #8
ok i see, well if someone could just get me started with the problem it would be great
 

FAQ: Calculating Dynamics: Newton's Laws and Friction on a Stair-Slider

What are Newton's three laws of motion?

Newton's first law states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. The second law states that the force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. The third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

What is the difference between mass and weight?

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while weight is a measure of the force of gravity acting on an object. Mass remains constant regardless of location, while weight can vary depending on the gravitational pull of a particular location.

How do Newton's laws apply to real-world situations?

Newton's laws of motion can be applied to explain the behavior of objects in everyday situations. For example, the first law can explain why a book placed on a table does not move unless a force is applied to it. The second law can explain why a car accelerates when the gas pedal is pushed. The third law can explain the recoil of a gun after firing a bullet.

What is the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration?

According to Newton's second law, the force acting on an object is directly proportional to its mass and its acceleration. This means that the greater the mass of an object, the more force is needed to accelerate it, and the greater the acceleration, the more force is needed to achieve it.

How does Newton's third law of motion affect everyday life?

Newton's third law of motion can be seen in many everyday situations. For example, when you walk, your feet exert a force on the ground, and the ground exerts an equal and opposite force on your feet, propelling you forward. It also explains the movement of objects, such as a ball bouncing off the ground, or the recoil of a gun after firing a bullet. This law is also important in engineering and designing structures that can withstand forces.

Similar threads

Determining velocity for a pulley/rope system
Replies
1
Views
4K
Dynamics problem using Newton's third law.
Replies
15
Views
3K
Newton's Laws Questions + Friction. Very tricky and help appreciated
Replies
4
Views
6K
How Is Newton's Third Law Applied in Calculating Forces on a Lawn Mower?
Replies
2
Views
4K
Dynamics Newton's 2nd Law and Forces of Friction
Replies
1
Views
5K
Solving Package A's Motion w/ Newton's 3rd Law
Replies
4
Views
22K
Quite a few phys 12 questions, on unit 3 dynamics,energy,work,power
Replies
4
Views
3K
Calculating Coefficient of Kinetic Friction on a Slope Using Newton's Laws
Replies
2
Views
6K
Coefficient of Friction problem
Replies
5
Views
4K
Solving a Dynamics Problem: Angle & Tension Calculations
Replies
3
Views
19K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top