Question

A girl is sledding down a slope that is inclined at 30º with respect to the horizontal. The wind is aiding the motion by providing a steady force of 161 N that is parallel to the motion of the sled. The combined mass of the girl and the sled is 87.7 kg, and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the snow and the runners of the sled is 0.151. How much time is required for the sled to travel down a 271-m slope, starting from rest?

Answer 1

The sled required 9.96 s to travel down the slope.

Step-by-step explanation:

Please, see the figure for a description of the problem. In red are the x and y-components of the gravity force (Fg). Since the y-component of Fg (Fgy) is of equal magnitude as Fn but in the opposite direction, both forces get canceled.

Then, the forces that cause the acceleration of the sled are the force of the wind (Fw), the friction force (Ff) and the x-component of the gravity force (Fgx).

The sum of all these forces make the sled move. Finding the resulting force will allow us to find the acceleration of the sled and, with it, we can find the time the sled travel.

The magnitude of the friction force is calculated as follows:

Ff = μ · Fn

where :

μ = coefficient of kinetic friction

Fn = normal force

The normal force has the same magnitude as the y-component of the gravity force:

Fgy = Fg · cos 30º = m · g · cos 30º

Where

m = mass

g = acceleration due to gravity

Then:

Fgy = m · g · cos 30º = 87.7 kg · 9.8 m/s² · cos 30º

Fgy = 744 N

Then, the magnitude of Fn is also 744 N and the friction force will be:

Ff = μ · Fn = 0.151 · 744 N = 112 N

The x-component of Fg, Fgx, is calculated as follows:

Fgx = Fg · sin 30º = m·g · sin 30º = 87.7 kg · 9.8 m/s² · sin 30º = 430 N

The resulting force, Fr, will be the sum of all these forces:

Fw + Fgx - Ff = Fr

(Notice that forces are vectors and the direction of the friction force is opposite to the other forces, then, it has to be of opposite sign).

Fr = 161 N + 430 N - 112 N = 479 N

With this resulting force, we can calculate the acceleration of the sled:

F = m·a

where:

F = force

m = mass of the object

a = acceleration

Then:

F/m = a

a = 479N/87.7 kg = 5.46 m/s²

The equation for the position of an accelerated object moving in a straight line is as follows:

x = x0 + v0 · t + 1/2 · a · t²

where:

x = position at time t

x0 = initial position

v0 = initial velocity

t = time

a = acceleration

Since the sled starts from rest and the origin of the reference system is located where the sled starts sliding, x0 and v0 = 0.

x = 1/2· a ·t²

Let´s find the time at which the position of the sled is 271 m:

271 m = 1/2 · 5.46 m/s² · t²

2 · 271 m / 5.46 m/s² = t²

t = 9.96 s

The sled required almost 10 s to travel down the slope.