Inclined Planes

• Label the direction of N and mg.

θ mg

Use slide show mode (press F5) for animations.

 Inclined Planes
• Mark the direction of acceleration a.

θ mg
 Inclined Planes
• Choose the coordinate system with x in the same
or opposite direction of acceleration and y
perpendicular to x.
y

N x

θ mg
 Inclined Planes
• Now some trigonometry

N x

θ
90- θ
θ mg
 Inclined Planes
• Replace the force of gravity with its components.

N x

i n θ
g s sθ
m θ co
θ mg mg
 Inclined Planes
• Use Newton’s second law for both the x and y directions

y
Fx  ma x  ma

N x
 mg sin    ma

a
Fy  ma y  0
i n θ
g s sθ
m θ co
θ mg mg  N  mg cos   0

The force and acceleration in the x-direction have a negative sign

because they point in the negative x-direction.
 Inclined Planes
• Why is the component of mg along the x-axis –mgsinθ
• Why is the component of mg along the y-axis –mgcosθ

N x

i n θ
g s sθ
m θ co
θ mg mg
 Inclined Planes
• Why is the component of mg along the x-axis: –mgsinθ
• Why is the component of mg along the y-axis: –mgcosθ

a N

mg sinθ x
θ
θ
mg
mg cosθ
 Inclined Planes
• Why is the component of mg along the x-axis: –mgsinθ
• Why is the component of mg along the y-axis: –mgcosθ

a N

mg sinθ x
θ
θ
mg
mg cosθ
 Inclined Planes
• Why is the component of mg along the x-axis: –mgsinθ
• Why is the component of mg along the y-axis: –mgcosθ

θ
N opposite
a sinθ =
hypotenuse
adjacent
cosθ =
mg sinθ x hypotenuse

θ
mg
mg cosθ