How Does Mass Cancellation Affect Acceleration on an Inclined Plane?

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In summary: Oh lord oh no! yes you are right 🤦Thanks guys now I can see how the mass cancel and I got the acceleration
  • #1
Mohmmad Maaitah
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Homework Statement
A boy drags his 60N sled at constant speed up a 15 degree hill. He does so by pulling with a 25N force on a rope attached to the sled. If the rope is inclined at 35 degrees to the horizontal

What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the sled and snow?

At the top of the hill he jumps on the sled and slides down the hill. What is the magnitude of his acceleration down the slope.
----------------------------
Relevant Equations
How to find a?
I've found M-k it is 0.16
how to find the acceleration? I can't solve it without the quetion telling me the mass of the kid!
 
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  • #2
Mohmmad Maaitah said:
Homework Statement: A boy drags his 60N sled at constant speed up a 15 degree hill. He does so by pulling with a 25N force on a rope attached to the sled. If the rope is inclined at 35 degrees to the horizontal

What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the sled and snow?

At the top of the hill he jumps on the sled and slides down the hill. What is the magnitude of his acceleration down the slope.
----------------------------
Relevant Equations: How to find a?

I can't solve it without the quetion telling me the mass of the kid!
The masses are irrelevant for the second part. Just put an unknown for it, m, and watch it disappear.
 
  • #3
haruspex said:
The masses are irrelevant for the second part. Just put an unknown for it, m, and watch it disappear.
That's what I've been told and I still don't get how!
Can you please show me how so?
Thank you in advance.
 
  • #4
Mohmmad Maaitah said:
That's what I've been told and I still don't get how!
Can you please show me how so?
Thank you in advance.
As I suggested, let the boy's mass be m and write out the equations. Use M for the sled's mass, rather than plug in numbers.
Post what you get.
 
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  • #5
Mohmmad Maaitah said:
Homework Statement: A boy drags his 60N sled at constant speed up a 15 degree hill. He does so by pulling with a 25N force on a rope attached to the sled. If the rope is inclined at 35 degrees to the horizontal

What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the sled and snow?

At the top of the hill he jumps on the sled and slides down the hill. What is the magnitude of his acceleration down the slope.
----------------------------
Relevant Equations: How to find a?

I've found M-k it is 0.16
how to find the acceleration? I can't solve it without the quetion telling me the mass of the kid!
I agree with ##µ_k≈0.16## , Are you sure that the question asks for the acceleration down the slope? Or it asks for velocity?
To find the acceleration, not only the mass of the boy but also the mass of the sled is not needed. Just use Newton's second law for an object sliding down a ramp.
 
  • #6
MatinSAR said:
I agree with ##µ_k≈0.16## , Are you sure that the question asks for the acceleration down the slope? Or it asks for velocity?
To find the acceleration, not only the mass of the boy but also the mass of the sled is not needed. Just use Newton's second law for an object sliding down a ramp.
haruspex said:
As I suggested, let the boy's mass be m and write out the equations. Use M for the sled's mass, rather than plug in numbers.
Post what you get.
I get this a =0
1682253325482.jpeg
 
  • #7
and in the textbook the asnwer is 1 and idk how
 
  • #8
Mohmmad Maaitah said:
I get this a =0
There is no tension force when the boy slides down! First try to draw a free body diagram.
Consider the x-axis along the ramp and the y-axis perpendicular to it.
 
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  • #9
MatinSAR said:
There is no tension force when the boy slides down! First try to draw a free body diagram.
Consider the x-axis along the ramp and the y-axis perpendicular to it.
Oh lord oh no! yes you are right 🤦
Thanks guys now I can see how the mass cancel and I got the acceleration
(I Wish I knew earlier about this forum)
1682254960908.png
 
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Related to How Does Mass Cancellation Affect Acceleration on an Inclined Plane?

1. What is mass cancellation in the context of an inclined plane?

Mass cancellation refers to the phenomenon where the mass of an object does not affect its acceleration down an inclined plane. This occurs because the gravitational force acting on the object and the inertial resistance (mass) both scale with the object's mass, causing it to cancel out when calculating acceleration.

2. Why does mass cancel out when calculating acceleration on an inclined plane?

Mass cancels out because the gravitational force (mg sin θ) and the inertial resistance (ma) both include the mass (m) of the object. When these forces are equated to find acceleration (a), the mass (m) appears on both sides of the equation and thus cancels out, leaving acceleration dependent only on the gravitational constant (g) and the angle of the incline (θ).

3. How does the angle of the inclined plane affect the acceleration?

The angle of the inclined plane (θ) affects the component of gravitational force acting along the plane. The acceleration (a) is given by g sin θ, where g is the gravitational constant. As the angle increases, sin θ increases, leading to greater acceleration. Conversely, as the angle decreases, sin θ decreases, resulting in lower acceleration.

4. Does friction affect the mass cancellation on an inclined plane?

Yes, friction can affect the mass cancellation. When friction is present, the frictional force depends on the normal force, which is proportional to the mass. This introduces an additional term in the equation for acceleration, which includes mass. Therefore, in the presence of friction, mass does not completely cancel out, and the acceleration will depend on both the mass and the coefficient of friction.

5. Can mass cancellation be observed in real-world scenarios?

Mass cancellation can be observed in idealized scenarios where friction and air resistance are negligible. In real-world scenarios, these factors often play a role, making the mass of the object relevant to its acceleration. However, in controlled conditions, such as a smooth, frictionless inclined plane, mass cancellation can be demonstrated effectively.

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