Activities

In the first part of the activity, students vary the angle of the inclined plane while keeping the mass of the box and the coefficient of friction constant. They use the animation to calculate the minimum angle required for the box to slide.

In the second part of the activity, students vary the mass of the box. They attempt to find a mass that prevents the box from sliding down the plane.

Finally, students vary the coefficient of friction and observe its effects on the motion of the box. They identify the minimum coefficient of friction required to keep the box from sliding down the plane. They also study the effects on the box's motion of changing the coefficient of friction.