A small block of mass 200 g is situated at the top of a frictionless incline which is 10 m long and 3.2 m high. Calculate the speed of the block when it reaches the ground if it slides down the incline. Take g = 10 m/s ^2 .

Step-by-step solution

Since the incline is frictionless, the mechanical energy of the block is conserved. Loss in potential energy equals the gain in kinetic energy. mgh = 1 2 mv^2 v = 2gh The speed is independent of the mass of the block and the length of the incline. Substituting the given values g = 10 m/s ^2 and h = 3.2 m : v = 2 10 3.2 v = 64 = 8.0 m/s