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AP Physics C: Mechanics
2.7 Kinetic and Static Friction
2.5 Newton’s Second Law
2.2 Forces and Free-Body Diagrams
AdvancedMCQMathematicalConceptual20.7k
A tall rectangular outline represents an elevator cab. Resting on the bottom floor of the cab is a right triangular wedge whose inclined surface slopes downward to the right, making an angle labeled \theta with the horizontal floor. A small solid rectangular block rests on the inclined surface. An arrow labeled a points horizontally to the right above the wedge. A vertical arrow pointing upward labeled a_0 is located outside the cab to the right. A vertical downward arrow labeled g indicates the direction of gravity. No other labels, lines, text, or axes appear.
Block on an accelerating wedge inside an elevator cab.
Inside an elevator accelerating vertically upward with constant acceleration \(a_0\), a small block of mass \(m\) rests on a wedge whose inclined surface makes an angle \(\theta\) with the horizontal floor, where \(\tan\theta < \dfrac{1}{\mu_s}\). The coefficient of static friction between the block and the wedge face is \(\mu_s\). The wedge is accelerated horizontally to the right across the elevator floor such that the inclined surface pushes the block to the right, tending to cause the block to slide up the incline. What is the maximum horizontal acceleration \(a_{\text{max}}\) of the wedge for which the block does not slide up the incline?

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