500
A mass, M, is released from rest on an incline that makes a 42° angle with the horizontal. In 3 s, the mass is observed to have gone a distance of 3 m. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the mass and the surface of the incline?
We know that the mass accelerates from rest uniformly in 3 s and goes a distance of 3 m. Thus we can say that
d = ½ at2
Substituting the known number gives us an acceleration of 0.67 m/s2. On an incline, the normal force is given by mg cosθ, and so the friction can be expressed as f = μmg cosθ. Once again, this force opposes the downward force of gravity parallel to the incline, given by -mg sinθ. In the downward direction, these two forces are added together and set equal to -ma. Thus we write for this case:
μ(M)(9.8) cos 42 - (M)(9.8)sin 42 = -(M)(0.67)
The masses all cancel out, and solving for μ gives 0.8 as the coefficient of kinetic friction.