An ball is placed on top of a spring with k=100 N/m and compressing the spring by 2 cm. At this maximum compression, the object is level with the ground. A smooth pipe serves as pathway for the ball and a second rough pipe is connected to the end of the first pipe.

What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the object and the rough pipe?

Question

An ball is placed on top of a spring with k=100 N/m and compressing the spring by 2 cm. At this maximum compression, the object is level with the ground. A smooth pipe serves as pathway for the ball and a second rough pipe is connected to the end of the first pipe.

What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the object and the rough pipe?

jamesj · Answer

This question has been asked before ... let me try and find it.

anonymous · Answer

Uhm I'm actually looking for the coefficient of kinetic friction and not the height. Haha. I don't know how to get it since no masses are given.

jamesj · Answer

I should have read that last question.  But I'm 99.9% certain it's the wrong question for that set up.

anonymous · Answer

Really? Even if there's a given angle?

jamesj · Answer

Is there any other information?  As it is, the rough pipe could absolutely any coefficient of friction.

anonymous · Answer

k of spring= 1000 N/m
maximum compression of spring= 2cm
rough pipe rises 30 degrees above the floor

jamesj · Answer

We still need more information, as right now we don't know anything about how the ball behaves as it moves through the rough pipe.

In order to solve the problem we would need some (but not all) of the following variables
* Angle of inclination of the smooth pipe also
* Length of the smooth pipe
* Distance the ball travels along the rough pipe
* Height the ball reaches in the rough pipe
* Mass of ball
* Speed of ball as it travels from smooth pipe to rough pipe
* ...