An object, previously at rest, slides 7 m7m down a ramp, with an incline of (pi)/6 π6, and then slides horizontally on the floor for another 24 m24m. If the ramp and floor are made of the same material, what is the material's kinetic friction coefficient?

1 Answer
Apr 21, 2016

Here length of the ramp (l)= 7m

Angle of inclination of the ramp theta = pi/6θ=π6
Height of the object from horizontal floor,h=lsinthetah=lsinθ
If mass of the body is m kgmkg
The initial gravitational potential energy of the body PE=mgh=mglsintheta=7mgsintheta JPE=mgh=mglsinθ=7mgsinθJ

The normal reaction acting on the body when it is sliding down the ramp is N_r=mgcosthetaNr=mgcosθ
and the corresponding frictional force F_r=muN_r=mumgcosthetaFr=μNr=μmgcosθ
where mu=μ=coefficient of kinetic friction
work done against frictional force when sliding down the ramp W_1=F_rxxl=mumgcosthetaxx7JW1=Fr×l=μmgcosθ×7J

when the body slides on horizontal force,then normal reaction N_f=mgNf=mg and corresponding frictional force F_f=muN_f=mumgFf=μNf=μmg
work done against frictional force when sliding 24m along floor
W_2=F_fxx24=24mumgJW2=Ff×24=24μmgJ

Now applying conservation of mechanical energy we can write

The initial KE being zero
Initial PE = total work done against frictional force =W_1+W_2=W1+W2
:. 7mgsintheta=W_1+W_2
=>7mgsintheta=7mumgcostheta+24mumg
=>mu=(7sintheta)/(24+7costheta)=(7sin(pi/6))/(24+7cos(pi/6))
=(7xx1/2)/(24+7xxsqrt(3)/2)=(3.5)/33~~0.105