Question

If a frictionless surface is elevated to form an inclined plane what effect does it have on velocity and acceleration of an object that is sliding down it? ( this would be Versus the velocity and acceleration of an object on a flat frictionless surface) ?

If the angle is increased more how are velocity and acceleration affected

Answer 1

A) The component of gravitational force on the body in direction of inclined plane is given by mgsin(q), where q is angle of inclination from the horizontal surface. There is no friction force as given.

And net force on body in direction perpendicular to inclined plane is zero, because N =mgcos(q).

So, we have net force on body in direction of inclined plane(F)=mg sin(q)

So, Net Acceleration = mgsin(q) /m = g sin(q).

So we have constant Acceleration of body in downward direction.

Because of this constant Acceleration, the velocity of body keeps on increasing at fixed rate. ie v = u + at, where a = g sin(q).

B) Now, when we increase angle(q) , the acceleration increases because sin(q) increases.

So rate of change of velocity also increases.

Increasing angle, the normal on body decreases as cos(q) decreases.