Normal Force in Inclined Planes
In an inclined plane, the normal force is not directed in the usual direction. Until now, normal force has always been seen to be directed upward in the opposite direction of gravity. The reality about normal forces is that they are always directed perpendicular to the surface the object is on, not always upward.
Components of Normal Force
In a normal plane, which is a horizontal surface, the object’s weight is completely counteracted by the normal force.
N = mg
The normal force is perpendicular to the surface on an inclined plane, and it compensates the perpendicular component of the gravitational force.
if θ represents the angle of inclination, the normal force N can be expressed as:
N = mg cos(θ)
Example:
Imagine a book resting on a ramp. Gravity pulls the book straight down, but because the ramp is slanted, that pull isn’t straight up against our hands. Here, gravity has got two faces. Gravity acts on the book with one big force, but on a slant, that force gets divided into two parts:
- Normal Force: This force pushes the book upward, perpendicular to the ramp’s surface. Its like the ramp pushing back upward.
- Weight Pulling Down the Ramp: This force acts downward along the slope of the ramp it is the unbalanced force that pulls the book down
Inclined Plane
Inclined Plane is the most fundamental forms of mechanical devices used in physics. In order to get around physical obstacles and simplify tasks, inclined planes have been used for centuries in both ancient and recent construction projects. A flat surface that is angled with respect to the horizontal plane is the fundamental component of an inclined plane. It is a basic mechanism that works by extending the force over a greater distance in order to decrease the force required to move an object vertically.
In this article, we will learn in detail about inclined plane, the mechanics behind it, the resolution of forces into horizontal perpendicular component acting on inclined plane and solve examples based on it.