A wooden block of mass is placed on a fixed rough plane that makes an angle with the…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Laws of Motion · Laws of Motion
Problem
A wooden block of mass m is placed on a fixed rough plane that makes an angle α with the horizontal. It is found that the block just remains at rest until it is given a very small impulse, after which it slides down the plane.
(i) Explain, with reason, why the acceleration of the block as it slides is less than gsinα.
(ii) Show qualitatively why the value of this acceleration is independent of the mass of the block.
(iii) How will the acceleration change if the surfaces are polished so that the coefficient of kinetic friction decreases? Give reasons for your answer.