An object, previously at rest, slides 9 m9m down a ramp, with an incline of (pi)/3 π3, and then slides horizontally on the floor for another 2 m2m. If the ramp and floor are made of the same material, what is the material's kinetic friction coefficient?

1 Answer
Apr 14, 2016

Here length of the ramp (l)= 9m

Angle of inclination of the ramp theta = pi/3θ=π3
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=9mgsintheta JPE=mgh=mglsinθ=9mgsinθJ

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=mumgcosthetaxx9JW1=Fr×l=μmgcosθ×9J

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 2m along floor
W_2=F_fxx2=2mumgJW2=Ff×2=2μmgJ

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
:. 9mgsintheta=W_1+W_2
=>9mgsintheta=9mumgcostheta+2mumg
=>mu=(9sintheta)/(2+9costheta)=(9sin(pi/3))/(2+9cos(pi/3))
=(9xxsqrt3/2)/(2+9xx1/2)=(4.5xxsqrt3)/6.5=9/13xxsqrt3> 1 not feasible