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When applying Newton's laws to an object on an incline, which choice of axes is most convenient?
AOne axis vertical and one axis horizontal
BOne axis along the weight and one along the friction
COne axis parallel to the slope and one perpendicular
DBoth axes at forty five degrees to the slope
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. One axis parallel to the slope and one perpendicular
1. A two-dimensional problem is broken into a pair of one-dimensional problems by projecting onto axes.
2. The choice of axes can simplify the work a great deal.
3. For an incline, one axis parallel to the slope and one perpendicular to it is most convenient.
4. There is then no motion along the perpendicular axis, and friction lies along the parallel axis.
5. It is almost always convenient to put one axis along the known direction of motion.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Dynamics: Force and Newton's Laws of Motion", section 4.6 Problem-Solving Strategies_
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