Riding a motorcycle on inclined plane

[azure kitsune]

Homework Statement

A motorcycle and a 60.0 kg rider accelerate at 3.0 m/s^2 up a ramp inclined 10 degrees above the horizontal. What is the magnitude of the force on the rider from the motorcycle?

Homework Equations

F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution

I'm not quite sure which forces the motorcycle are exerting on the person. I know the person exerts a downward force on the motorcycle (due to gravity) so it would exert the same force back. Would the direction of this force be vertical or perpendicular to the plane?

Also, the motorcycle is pushing the person up the ramp so this forward force would be $$ma - mg \sin 10^{\circ}$$ right?

 

[Kurdt]

This has been discussed before.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=240753

 

[baba89]

I would approach this problem by first identifying all the relevant forces acting on the motorcycle and rider. These include the force of gravity, the normal force from the ramp, and the force of acceleration from the motorcycle.

The force of gravity acts downwards on both the motorcycle and the rider, and is equal to their combined mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2). The normal force from the ramp acts perpendicular to the surface of the ramp, and is equal to the force of gravity in the opposite direction.

The force of acceleration from the motorcycle is what is causing the rider to move up the ramp. This force can be calculated using Newton's second law, F=ma, where F is the force, m is the mass of the rider, and a is the acceleration of the motorcycle.

In this case, the force of acceleration can be found by multiplying the mass of the rider (60.0 kg) by the acceleration of the motorcycle (3.0 m/s^2), giving a force of 180 N. This force is directed parallel to the surface of the ramp.

Therefore, the total force on the rider from the motorcycle is the sum of these three forces: the force of gravity, the normal force, and the force of acceleration. This total force will be directed at an angle between the direction of gravity and the direction of acceleration, due to the incline of the ramp.

In conclusion, the magnitude of the force on the rider from the motorcycle can be calculated by adding together the force of gravity, the normal force, and the force of acceleration, and taking into account the angle of the ramp. This shows the importance of understanding all the forces at play in a situation, and how they contribute to the overall motion of an object.