Physics
Friction and inclines
Static, sliding and rolling friction - from tan α to stick-slip.
What happens
A block on an inclined plane: static friction can hold it at rest, while kinetic friction opposes sliding. Change the slope, coefficients and applied force to find the onset of motion. The energy account includes frictional heating and energy lost when the block hits an end stop. The model uses ideal Coulomb friction.
Equations used in the module
Equations N = mg cos θ; F_drive = mg sin θ − F_applied |F_static| ≤ μ_s N F_kinetic = −μ_k N sign(v) ma = F_drive + F_friction Q = ∫ μ_k N |ds| + E_impact K + U + Q = E₀ + W_applied
