An object with a mass of 14 kg14kg is lying still on a surface and is compressing a horizontal spring by 1 m1m. If the spring's constant is 7 (kg)/s^27kgs2, what is the minimum value of the surface's coefficient of static friction?

1 Answer
Jan 18, 2018

The surface's coefficient of static friction, in this case, will be 0.0051, approximately.

Explanation:

Since the object is lying still on the surface, it is in equilibrium and, therefore, the net force in it must equal zero:

F_N = 0FN=0. (1)

Since it is placed by a horizontal spring, the friction force, ff, will also be in that direction, opposing to the spring's force.

Now, since the displacement Deltax = 1m and k = 7 N/m, then the elastic force is

F = k . Deltax;

F = 7 . 1 = 7 N.

Now, from Equation (1), f and F must have equal intensities, which means that

f = 7 N.

Now, since f = mu . N, with mu and N being the surface's coefficient of static friction and N the object's normal force, respectively, then:

mu . N = 7.

Since in this case the normal force equals the object's weight, then:

mu = 7/(9,81 . 14)

mu = 0.051, approximately (I have used #g = 9.81 m/s^2).