A box over an inclined plane with a mass, no friction

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem of static with an inclined plane and a box on top of it. The questions ask for the acceleration in the x and y components of the box and the x component of the plane. The equations used are Newton's laws and momentum conservation. The attempt at a solution involves finding the magnitude of the force of the box on the plane and getting confused about how acceleration is distributed between the two masses. The solution is supposed to be 0 for all components due to the problem being a statics problem. The conversation also mentions the need for a better understanding and asks for reading material on the topic.
  • #1
SqueeSpleen
141
5

Homework Statement


We have an inclined plane with a mass ##M## and an angle ##\alpha## and a box of mass ##m## over it.
Everything is at the instant 0 (it's a problem of static, no dynamics).
a) What's the acceleration in the component x of the box?
b) What's the acceleration in the component y of the plane?
c) What's the acceleration in the component x of the box?

Homework Equations


Newton laws, momentum conservation I guess.

The Attempt at a Solution


I have tried but I'm failing.
The solutions are supposed to be
a)
$$
a_{1x}
\dfrac{ -m_{2} \cdot g \cdot \tan (\alpha) }{ m_{2} \sec^{2} (\alpha) + m_{1} \tan^{2} (\alpha) }
$$
b)
$$
a_{2x}
\dfrac{ m_{1} \cdot g \cdot \tan (\alpha) }{ m_{2} \sec^{2} (\alpha) + m_{1} \tan^{2} (\alpha) }
$$
c)
$$
a_{2x}
\dfrac{ -( m_{1} +m_{2} ) \cdot g \cdot \tan^{2} (\alpha) }{ m_{2} \sec^{2} (\alpha) + m_{1} \tan^{2} (\alpha) }
$$
I've tried several times, and the best I have got for a) was
$$
a_{1x}
\dfrac{ -m_{2} \cdot g \cdot \tan (\alpha) }{ m_{2} \sec^{2} (\alpha) + m_{1} \sec^{2} (\alpha) }
$$
I'm surely missing something.
The reasoning beggings as follows:
The magnitude of the force of the box over the inclined plane is ##g m_{1} \sin (\alpha )## as is the normal component of the gravity. That force as a direction ## (\sin( \alpha ), - \cos(\alpha))##.
Here is where I got confused. I know if the ramp has infinite mass, or is "glued" to the floor which to this porpuse is the same, the box would only have left a the tangent component of the force.
The thing is, I'm not sure how acceleration gets distributed between two masses.
I remember that in the case of colliding "balls" it was something like
$$
\dfrac{ m_{1} }{ m_{1}+m_{2}}
$$
and when assuming that is when I almost got the result, but I had ##\sec## in both places, no ##\tan##. So I guess I'm missing a ##\sin##. Any one knows where can I read theory to help me understand this a bit better and solve this problem? I guess if I can start playing with Newton Laws until I get the correct result, but I would like to have a better understanding.
 

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  • #2
SqueeSpleen said:

Homework Statement


We have an inclined plane with a mass ##M## and an angle ##\alpha## and a box of mass ##m## over it.
Everything is at the instant 0 (it's a problem of static, no dynamics).
If this is a statics problem, then the answer to all of the questions below is 0.

a) What's the acceleration in the component x of the box?
b) What's the acceleration in the component y of the plane?
c) What's the acceleration in the component x of the box?
One of these is supposed to be the x-component of acceleration of the plane, right?

Homework Equations


Newton laws, momentum conservation I guess.

The Attempt at a Solution


I have tried but I'm failing.
I've tried several times, and the best I have got for a) was
$$
a_{1x}
\dfrac{ -m_{2} \cdot g \cdot \tan (\alpha) }{ m_{2} \sec^{2} (\alpha) + m_{1} \sec^{2} (\alpha) }
$$
I'm surely missing something.
The reasoning beggings as follows:
The magnitude of the force of the box over the inclined plane is ##g m_{1} \sin (\alpha )## as is the normal component of the gravity. That force as a direction ## (\sin( \alpha ), - \cos(\alpha))##.
Here is where I got confused. I know if the ramp has infinite mass, or is "glued" to the floor which to this porpuse is the same, the box would only have left a the tangent component of the force.
The thing is, I'm not sure how acceleration gets distributed between two masses.
I remember that in the case of colliding "balls" it was something like
$$
\dfrac{ m_{1} }{ m_{1}+m_{2}}
$$
and when assuming that is when I almost got the result, but I had ##\sec## in both places, no ##\tan##. So I guess I'm missing a ##\sin##. Any one knows where can I read theory to help me understand this a bit better and solve this problem? I guess if I can start playing with Newton Laws until I get the correct result, but I would like to have a better understanding.
From your description, I have no idea what you were doing. Please show your work.

You mentioned conservation of momentum in the relevant equations. Did you use it?
 

Related to A box over an inclined plane with a mass, no friction

1. What is the purpose of studying a box over an inclined plane with a mass and no friction?

The purpose of studying this scenario is to understand the fundamental principles of physics, specifically the concepts of forces, motion, and energy. It also serves as a simplified model for real-world situations involving objects moving on inclined surfaces, such as ramps or hills.

2. What factors determine the motion of the box on the inclined plane?

The motion of the box is determined by the angle of the incline, the mass of the box, and the force of gravity acting on the box. In this scenario, the absence of friction means that it will not affect the motion of the box.

3. How does the angle of the incline affect the motion of the box?

The steeper the incline, the greater the component of the force of gravity acting on the box in the direction of the incline. This results in a faster acceleration of the box down the incline. On the other hand, a shallower incline will result in a slower acceleration.

4. What is the relationship between the mass of the box and its acceleration?

According to Newton's second law of motion, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. Therefore, in this scenario, a larger mass will result in a slower acceleration down the incline, while a smaller mass will accelerate faster.

5. How does the absence of friction affect the motion of the box?

In the absence of friction, there is no opposing force to counteract the force of gravity acting on the box. This means that the box will continue to accelerate down the incline until it reaches the bottom or encounters another force, such as hitting an object. This also means that the box will not experience any change in its velocity while moving down the incline.

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