A demonstration of motion on an inclined plane with constant velocity and the corresponding forces.
The "Reset" button brings the block to its initial position (outside of the picture). You can start or stop and continue the simulation with the other two buttons. Depending on the selected radio button the applet will show a springscale from which you can read the necessary force, or the vectors of the weight force with its two components (parallel and normal to the plane), the normal force, the frictional force and the force which is necessary for the motion. The angle of inclination, the weight of the block and the coefficient of friction can be changed within certain limits. The applet will calculate the magnitudes of the mentioned forces.
Downloadable Files
If your computer is set up with Geometers Sketchpad 4 then you can download this file to investigate forces along a slope problems further.
Software/Applets used on this page
Based on free Java applets from Java Applets on Physics
Glossary
coefficient
The constant value in an expression, for example in 3x the coefficient of x is 3.
constant
a value in a formula or equation that cannot change.
force
that which causes a body to accelerate or change in momentum
friction
whenever two rough surfaces are in contact, this force, F acts in the direction to oppose motion.
normal
A line passing through a curve at a point that is perpendicular to the tangent to the curve at that same point.
slope
the angle between a straight line and the horizontal.
velocity
the rate of change of displacement. It is a vector quantity with magnitude and direction.
weight
a force which acts upon masses in a gravitational field. Near the surface of the Earth, the acceleration due to gravity is approximately constant; this means that an object's weight is roughly proportional to its mass. Weight and mass are fundamentally different quantities: mass is an intrinsic property of matter, whereas weight is a force that results from the action of gravity on matter: it measures how strongly gravity pulls on that matter.
This question appears in the following syllabi:
| Syllabus | Module | Section | Topic | Exam Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | M1 | Statics | Forces as vectors | - |
| AQA A2 Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Equilibrium and Resolving | Resolving Forces | - |
| AQA AS/A2 Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Equilibrium and Resolving | Resolving Forces | - |
| CCEA A-Level (NI) | M1 | Statics | Forces as vectors | - |
| CIE A-Level (UK) | M1 | Statics | Forces as vectors | - |
| Edexcel A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | M1 | Statics | Forces as vectors | - |
| Edexcel A2 Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Resolving Forces and Friction | Resolving Forces | - |
| Edexcel AS/A2 Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Resolving Forces and Friction | Resolving Forces | - |
| OCR A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | M1 | Statics | Forces as vectors | - |
| OCR A2 Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Resolving Forces and Equilibrium | Resolving Forces | - |
| OCR MEI A2 Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Resolving Forces and Equilibrium | Resolving Forces | - |
| OCR-MEI A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | M1 | Statics | Forces as vectors | - |
| Pre-U A-Level (UK) | Mech | Statics | Forces as vectors | - |
| Universal (all site questions) | S | Statics | Forces as vectors | - |
| WJEC A-Level (Wales) | M1 | Statics | Forces as vectors | - |