---
title: "The figure above shows a cart of mass \\( M \\) accelerating to the right with acceleration \\( a \\). A block of mass \\( m \\) is pressed against the cart’s front vertical surface and is held there only by friction. The coefficient of friction between the block and the cart is \\( \\mu \\). What is the minimum acceleration \\( a \\) of the cart such that the block will not fall?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/100870/"
date_modified: "2025-09-14T10:27:44+00:00"
---

# The figure above shows a cart of mass \( M \) accelerating to the right with acceleration \( a \). A block of mass \( m \) is pressed against the cart’s front vertical surface and is held there only by friction. The coefficient of friction between the block and the cart is \( \mu \). What is the minimum acceleration \( a \) of the cart such that the block will not fall?

The figure above shows a cart of mass \( M \) accelerating to the right with acceleration \( a \). A block of mass \( m \) is pressed against the cart’s front vertical surface and is held there only by friction. The coefficient of friction between the block and the cart is \( \mu \). What is the minimum acceleration \( a \) of the cart such that the block will not fall?

![Diagram](https://nerd-notes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/accelerating-cart-with-block-stuck-to-it-300x200.png)

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/100870/*