Inclined Plane Simulator
Classroom worksheet · Interactive simulation: https://lkforge.com/tools/physics/inclined-plane/
Name: Date:
Learning objectives
- Resolve gravity into components along and perpendicular to an incline.
- Relate the normal force to the slope angle.
- Determine when an object slides using friction.
Variables to change
- Incline angle
- Mass
- Coefficient of friction
Procedure
- Set a low angle with friction and observe whether the block stays or slides.
- Slowly increase the angle until the block begins to slide.
- Compare the along-slope and perpendicular force components as the angle changes.
Observations
Record the angle at which sliding begins and how the normal force changes with angle.
Questions
- Write the component of gravity along the incline and perpendicular to it.
- How does the normal force change as the incline gets steeper?
- What condition makes a block start to slide?
- Does the sliding-start angle depend on the mass?
- On a frictionless incline, what is the acceleration down the slope?
Answer key (instructors)
- 1. Along: mg·sinθ. Perpendicular: mg·cosθ.
- 2. It decreases, because N = mg·cosθ and cosθ shrinks with angle.
- 3. When mg·sinθ exceeds the maximum static friction μ·mg·cosθ, i.e. tanθ > μ.
- 4. No — mass cancels; the critical angle depends only on the coefficient of friction (tanθ = μ).
- 5. a = g·sinθ.
On an incline, gravity splits into mg·sinθ down the slope and mg·cosθ into it. The normal force equals mg·cosθ, so it drops as the slope steepens. Sliding begins when the down-slope pull beats static friction, at tanθ = μ, independent of mass.