Mass on an accelerating truck with friction

In summary, the maximum acceleration the truck can have before the box begins to slide is 8.23 m/s^2, and the acceleration of the box when it begins to slide is 6.762 m/s^2. This is because kinetic friction is the only horizontal force acting on the box, as other forces such as air resistance are neglected in this scenario.
  • #1
aemaggie
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http://www.smartphysics.com/Content/Media/Images/Mechanics/06/acceleratingtruck.png

A box rests on top of a flat bed truck. The box has a mass of m = 24.0 kg. The coefficient of static friction between the box and truck is μs = 0.84 and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and truck is μk = 0.69.

3) What is the maximum acceleration the truck can have before the box begins to slide?
The answer is 8.23 m/s^2

4) Now the acceleration of the truck remains at that value, and the box begins to slide. What is the acceleration of the box?

The answer is 6.762
I did ukmg=ma but i don't understand why kinetic friction is the only force acting on the box.
 
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  • #2
Kinetic friction is the only horizontal force (as you neglect air resistance and so on). Which other forces do you expect?
 

Related to Mass on an accelerating truck with friction

1. How does the mass on an accelerating truck affect the friction between the truck and the road?

The mass on an accelerating truck has a direct impact on the friction between the truck and the road. As the mass increases, the force of friction also increases, making it more difficult for the truck to accelerate. This is because the weight of the truck and its load create more downward force on the tires, increasing the normal force and therefore the friction force.

2. How does the acceleration of the truck affect the mass on the truck?

The acceleration of the truck does not directly affect the mass on the truck. However, the acceleration does affect the net force acting on the truck, which in turn affects the friction force. As the truck accelerates, the normal force and the friction force increase, making it more difficult for the truck to accelerate. This can be represented by the equation: Fnet = ma, where Fnet is the net force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration.

3. What role does friction play in the movement of the mass on the accelerating truck?

Friction plays a crucial role in the movement of the mass on an accelerating truck. Without friction, the mass would not be able to stay in place on the truck and would slide off. This is because the force of friction acts in the opposite direction of the movement of the mass, preventing it from sliding off the truck. Additionally, friction allows the truck to accelerate without spinning its wheels and losing traction.

4. How does the coefficient of friction affect the mass on an accelerating truck?

The coefficient of friction is a measure of the roughness or smoothness of the surfaces in contact. It affects the mass on an accelerating truck by determining the amount of friction force between the truck and the road. A higher coefficient of friction means there is more friction force, making it more difficult for the truck to accelerate. This is because a rougher surface will have more microscopic imperfections that create more friction between the surfaces.

5. What is the relationship between the mass on an accelerating truck and the force of friction?

The relationship between the mass on an accelerating truck and the force of friction is directly proportional. As the mass increases, the force of friction also increases. This is because more mass means more downward force on the tires, creating a greater normal force and therefore a greater friction force. This relationship is described by the equation: Ffriction = μFn, where Ffriction is the friction force, μ is the coefficient of friction, and Fn is the normal force.

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