Part of JME-02 — Newton's Laws of Motion & Friction

Wedge Problems

by Notetube Official115 words4 views

Block on a smooth wedge (wedge on smooth floor):

When a block slides on a wedge that is free to move, both accelerate. The constraint is that the block stays on the wedge surface.

Analysis method:

  1. Let wedge acceleration = A (horizontal), block acceleration along wedge = a
  2. In ground frame, block has both A (horizontal from wedge) and a (along incline)
  3. FBD of block: mg down, N perpendicular to wedge surface
  4. FBD of wedge: Mg down, N from block, N' from floor
  5. Constraint: block's acceleration perpendicular to wedge surface = wedge's component perpendicular to surface

Result for smooth surfaces: A = mg*sin(theta)*costheta(M+msin2(theta)\frac{theta}{(M + m*sin^2(theta)}) a = (M+m)gsintheta(M+msin2(theta)\frac{theta}{(M + m*sin^2(theta)})

Like these notes? Save your own copy and start studying with NoteTube's AI tools.

Sign up free to clone these notes
Wedge Problems — Notes | NoteTube | NoteTube