alleryStart learning →How does the normal force on an object resting on an incline compare with its full weight?
AIt is greater than the full weight of the object
BIt is less than the full weight of the object
CIt is exactly equal to the full weight always
DIt falls to zero for any inclined surface
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. It is less than the full weight of the object
1. On an incline the weight splits into a component perpendicular to the slope and one parallel to it.
2. The normal force balances only the perpendicular component.
3. That component is the full weight multiplied by the cosine of the slope angle, which is less than one.
4. So on an inclined plane the normal force is always less than the full weight.
5. Only on a level surface does the cosine reach one and the two become equal.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Dynamics: Force and Newton's Laws of Motion", section 4.5 Normal, Tension, and Other Examples of Forces_
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