Theory

While the block slides, kinetic friction has magnitude f_k = μ_k N with N = mg cos θ along an incline. The along-ramp component of weight is mg sin θ, so ma = mg sin θ − μ_k mg cos θ and a = g(sin θ − μ_k cos θ). Measuring a at known θ yields μ_k = tan θ − a/(g cos θ).

Procedure

1. Read the theory: the model uses a fixed (hidden) μ_k; you choose the ramp angle θ.
2. Pick θ large enough that tan θ clearly exceeds kinetic friction so the block accelerates downhill (try θ ≈ 25–40° first).
3. Press “Measure acceleration (run & record)”. The block runs a short segment; an onboard sensor returns a noisy reading of the along-ramp acceleration a.
4. Each run appends (θ, a, μ_k) with μ_k computed from your readings. Repeat at least 5 times — you may vary θ between runs.
5. Take the sample mean of the μ_k column as your final estimate.
6. Compare with the reference value and discuss error sources in the conclusion.

Experiment