HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
Earn 100

A particle slides up a slope at angle θ to the horizontal with coefficient of friction μ. It passes a point A on the way up the slope at speed u ms-1 and passes it on the way down the slope with speed v ms-1. Prove that:

v2=u2sinθ-μcosθsinθ+μcosθ

so v is independent of the mass of the particle and the value of g. Deduce also that the speed on the way down is always smaller than the speed on the way up.

Important Questions on Friction

HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
A toy car of mass 80 g rolls from rest 80 cm down a rough slope at an angle of16° to the horizontal. When it hits a rubber barrier at the bottom of the slope it bounces back up the slope with its speed halved, and reaches a height of 10 cm. Find the coefficient of friction between the car and the slope.
HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
A boy is trying to drag a box along a rough horizontal surface by pulling horizontally. The box has mass 12 kg. The coefficient of friction between the box and the surface is 0.4. The box is on the point of slipping. Find the size of the force exerted by the boy.
MEDIUM
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
A girl tries to drag the box of mass 12 kg along the rough horizontal surface with coefficient of friction 0.4 She exerts a force at an angle of 10° above the horizontal and the box is on the point of slipping. Find the size of the force exerted by the girl.
MEDIUM
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
A builder tries dragging a sack of sand of mass 25 kg along a rough horizontal surface with coefficient of friction 0.5. He pulls at 12° above the horizontal and the sack is on the point of slipping. Find the size of the total contact force.
HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
A trailer has mass 120 kg. A winch pulls the trailer with a force of 500 N at an angle θ above the horizontal. The trailer is in limiting equilibrium on horizontal ground with coefficient of friction 0.45. Find θ.
HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
A metal block of mass 20 kg is on a rough slope at an angle of 12° to the horizontal. The coefficient of friction between the book and the slope is 0.4. A boy is trying to move the block up the slope by pushing parallel to the slope. He increases the force until equilibrium breaks. Find the maximum size of the force the boy pushes with before the block slips.
MEDIUM
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
A girl drags a sledge up a rough slope, which has an angle of 10° to the horizontal. The sledge has mass 8 kg and the coefficient of friction between the slope and the sledge is 0.3. She pulls the sledge with a rope at an angle of 12° to the slope and increases the tension until equilibrium is broken. Find the tension in the rope when this happens.
HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
A car is towed down a rough slope, which is at an angle of 5° to the horizontal. The coefficient of friction between the car and the slope is 0.35. The car is towed using a rope at an angle of 13° to the slope. Equilibrium is broken when the tension in the rope is 4000 N. Find the mass of the car.