PASCO ME-9502 Statics System - Manual (Page 48)

S t a t i c s S y s t e m S l i d i n g F r i c t i o n o n a n I n c l i n e d P l a n e
®
44 012-12876B
Procedure
1. Measure and record the
weight, W, of the Fric-
tion Block.
• weight, W =__________
2. Mount the Inclined
Plane on the Statics
Board and set the angle,
, to 15°. Set up the pul-
ley, mass hanger, thread,
and Friction Block as
shown in the figure.
Make sure that the
thread is parallel to the
Inclined Plane.
3. Carefully adjust the mass on the mass hanger until the weight of the hanging mass is enough so that the Fric-
tion Block moves at a very slow, constant speed up the inclined after you give it a small push.
4. Record the total mass of the hanging mass, m, (mass of the mass hanger and added masses).
Calculations
• Remember that the weight of the Friction Block, W = F = Mg.
5. Calculate and record the parallel component, F

= Mg sin
, of the block’s weight.
6. Calculate the perpendicular component, F

= Mg cos
, of the block’s weight and record this as the normal
force, F
N
.
7. Use the normal force, F
N
, and the coefficient of sliding friction,

k
, for the surface material of the block
(either wood or felt) to calculate the sliding friction force, f
k
=

k
F
N
.
8. Calculate the weight of the hanging mass, F
hanging
= mg and record this as the tension in the thread, T.
9. Calculate and record the sum of the parallel component of the block’s weight, F

, and the sliding friction
force, f
k
.
Data Table
• Sum of the parallel component of the block’s weight, F

, and the sliding friction force, f
k
= ______________.
Question
How does the tension in the thread compare to the sum of the parallel component of the block’s weight and the
sliding friction force?
Angle,

Block
Mass, M
Hanging
Mass, m Parallel Component ,
F  = Mg sin

Normal Force ,
F  = F
N
= Mg cos

Friction Force,
f
k
=

k
F
N
Tension,
T = mg
Figure 8.4: Friction on an Inclined Plane Setup
Friction
Block
The thread
must be parallel
to the plane.
Hanging
mass