Dr RajeN PhD NEWTON’S LAWS WITH FRICTION www.rajenphysics.

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FRICTION
TWO BLOCK PROBLEMS

Example 25. Find the acceleration of the two blocks. The system is initially at rest and the friction coefficient
are as shown in the figure?
µ=0.5 10 A F = 50 N
Smooth
10 B
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Solution : Method of solving

Step 1 : Make force diagram.
Step 2 : Show static friction force by f because value of friction is not known.
Step 3 : Calculate separately for two cases.
Case 1 : Move together
Step 4 : Calculate acceleration.
Step 5 : Check value of friction for above case.
Step 6 : If required friction is less than available it means they will move together else move separately.
Step 7: (a) above acceleration will be common acceleration for both
Case 2 : Move separately
Step 7(b) If they move separately then kinetic friction is involved. Whose value is µN.
Step 8 : Calculate acceleration for above case.
f
A 50
B
f
fmax = µN  f  50 N (available friction)
Move together Move separately
50
(i) a = = 2.5 m/s2 No need to calculate
10  10
(ii) Check friction for B : f = 10 × 2.5 = 25
25 N is required which is less than available friction hence they will move together.
and aA = aB = 2.5 m/s2

Example 26. Find the acceleration of the two blocks. The system is initially at rest and the friction coefficient
are as shown in the figure?
µ=0.5 10 A 101 N
smooth
10 B
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Solution : fmax = 50 N  f  50 N

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f
A 101
B
f
101
(i) If they move together a = = 5.05 m/s2
20
(ii) Check friction on B
f
10

f = 10 × 5.05 = 50.5 (required)

50.5 > 50 (therefore required > available). Hence they will not move together.

(iii) Hence they move separately so kinetic friction is involved.

fk = µN=50
A 101
B
fk=50
101  50 50
 for aA = = 5.1 m/s2 aB = = 5 m/s2
10 10
Also aA > aB as force is applied on A.

Example 27. Find the acceleration of the two blocks. The system is initially at rest and the friction coefficient
are as shown in the figure?
µ=0.5 F = 60 N
10
Smooth
20
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Solution : Move Together Move Separately

60
a= = 2 m/s2 No need to calculate.
30
Check friction on 20 kg.
f = 20 x 2
f = 40 (which is required)
40 < 50 (therefore required < available)
 will move together.

Example 28. In above example find maximum F for which two blocks will move together.
Solution : Observing the critical situation where friction becomes limiting.
fmax = 50
10 F
20
fmax = 50
 F – fmax = 10 a ......(1)
fmax = 20 a ......(2)
 F = 75 N

Example 29. Initially the system is at rest. find out minimum value of F for which sliding starts between the
two blocks.

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µ=0.5
10
Smooth
20 F
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Solution : At just sliding condition limiting friction is acting.

10
F – 50 = 20 a .......(1) f = 50
f = 10 a .......(2)
50 = 10 a f = 50
20 F
 a = 5 m/s2
hence F = 50 + 20 × 5 = 150 N
 Fmin = 150 N

Example 30. In the figure given below force F applied horizontally on lower block, is gradually increased from
zero. Discuss the direction and nature of friction force and the accelerations of the block for
different values of F (Take g = 10 m/s2).

Solution : In the above situation we see that the maximum possible value of friction between the blocks is
smAg = 0.3 × 10 × 10 = 30 N.
Case (i) : When F = O.
Considering that there is no slipping between the blocks the acceleration of system will be
120
a= = 4 m/s2
20  10
But the maximum acceleration of B can be obtained by the following force diagram.

30
aB = = 1.5 m/s2 ( only friction force by block A is responsible for producing acceleration in block B)
20
Because 4 > 1.5 m/s2 we can conclude that the blocks do not move together.
Now drawing the F.B.D. of each block, for finding out individual accelerations.

120  30
aA = = 9 m/s2 towards right
10
30
aB = = 1.5 m/s2 towards right.
20
Case (ii) F is increased from zero till the two blocks just start
moving together.
As the two blocks move together the friction is static in nature

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and its value is limiting. FBD in this case will be
120  30 F  30 F  30
aA = = 9 m/s2 aB = = aA  = 9
10 20 20
    F = 150 N
Hence when 0 < F < 150 N the blocks do not move together and the friction is kinetic. As F
increases acceleration of block B increases from 1.5 m/s2.
At F = 150 N limiting static friction start acting and the two blocks start moving together.
Case (iii) When F is increased above 150 N.
In this scenario the static friction adjusts itself so as to
keep the blocks moving together. The value of static
friction starts reducing but the direction still remains
same. This happens continuously till the value of friction
becomes zero. In this case the FBD is as follows
120  f Ff
aA = aB = =
10 20
 when friction force f gets reduced to zero the above accelerations become
120 F
aA = = 12 m/s2  aB = = aA = 12 m/s2  F = 240 N
10 20
Hence when 150  F  240 N the static friction force continuously decreases from maximum to
zero at F = 240 N. The accelerations of the blocks increase from 9 m/s2 to 12 m/s2 during the
change of force F.
Case (iv) When F is increased again from 240 N the direction of
friction force on the block reverses but it is still static. F can be
increased till this reversed static friction reaches its limiting value.
FBD at this juncture will be
The blocks move together therefore.
120  30
aA = = 15 m/s2
10
F  30 F  30
aB = = aA = 15 m/s2  = 15 m/s2
20 20
Hence F = 330 N.
Case (v) When F is increased beyond 330 N. In this case the limiting friction is achieved and
slipping takes place between the blocks (kinetic friction is involved).

aA = 15 m/s2 which is constant

F  30
aB = m/s2 where F > 330 N.
20

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PRACTICE 5
Section (C) : Miscellaneous Questions
C-1. A body of mass 5 kg is kept on a rough horizontal surface. It is found that the body does not slide if a
horizontal force less than 30 N is applied to it. Also it is found that it takes 5 seconds to slide throughout
the first 10 m if a horizontal force of 30 N is applied and the body is gently pushed to start the motion.
Taking g= 10 m/s2, calculate the coefficients of static and kinetic friction between the block and the
surface.

C-2. In the given figures find the accelerations and the friction forces involved :

(i) (ii)

(iii) (iv)

KEY 5
Section (C) :
C-1. s = 0.60, k = 0.52
C-2. (i) aA = 3 m/s2, aB = 0 , fAB = 0 , fBG = 0
(ii) aA = 1 m/s2 , aB = 0 , fAB = 25N , fBG = 25N
(iii) aA = 5 m/s2 ; aB = 10 m/s2 ; fAB = 25N ; fBG = 75N
(iv) aA = 1m/s2 ; aB = 1m/s2 ; fAB = 5N ; fBG = 75N

PRACTICE 6
Section (C) : Miscellaneous Questions
C-1. A 60 kg body is pushed horizontally with just enough force to start it moving across a floor and the
same force continues to act afterwards. The coefficient of static friction and sliding friction are 0.5 and
0.4 respectively. The acceleration of the body is :
(A) 6 m/s2 (B) 4.9 m/s2 (C) 3.92 m/s2 (D) 1 m/s2
C-2. A force F = t is applied to block A as shown in figure. The force is applied at t = 0 seconds when the
system was at rest and string is just straight without tension. Which of the following graphs gives the
friction force between B and horizontal surface as a function of time ‘t’.

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(A) (B)

(C) (D)

C-3. A plank of mass m1 = 8 kg with a bar of mass m2 = 2 kg placed on its rough surface, lie on a smooth
floor of elevator ascending with an acceleration g/4. The coefficient of friction is µ = 1/5 between m1 and
m2. A horizontal force F = 30 N is applied to the plank. Then the acceleration of bar and the plank in the
reference frame of elevator are :

50 25
(A) 3.5 m/s2, 5 m/s2 (B) 5 m/s2, m/s2 (C) 2.5 m/s2, m/s2 (D) 4.5 m/s2, 4.5m/s2
8 8
C-4. A man of mass m is applying a horizontal force to slide a box of mass m on a rough horizontal surface.
It is known that the man does not slide. The coefficient of friction between the shoes of the man and the
floor is µ and between the box and the floor is µ. In which of the following cases it is certainly not
possible to slide the box?

KEY 6
Section (C)
C-1. (D) C-2. (A) C-3. (C)
C-4. (B)

PRACTICE 7
1. In the given figure find the accelerations of blocks A and B for the following cases (g = 10 m/s2)

Column- Column-
(A) 1 = 0 and 2 = 0.1 (p) aA = aB = 9.5 m/s2
(B) 2 = 0 and 1 = 0.1 (q) aA = 9 m/s2, aB = 10 m/s2
(C) 1 = 0.1 and 2 = 1.0 (r) aA = aB = g = 10 m/s2
(D) 1 = 1.0 and 2 = 0.1 (s) aA = 1, aB = 9 m/s2

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2. Column II gives certain situations involving two blocks of mass 2 kg and 4 kg. The 4 kg block lies on a
smooth horizontal table. There is sufficient friction between both the blocks and there is no relative
motion between the blocks in all situation. Horizontal forces act on one or both blocks as shown.
Column I gives certain statement related to figures given in column II. Match the statements in column I
with the figure in column II.
Column- Column-

2kg
(A) Magnitude of frictional force is maximum. (p)
4kg 12N

2kg 12N
(B) Magnitude of friction force is least. (q)
4kg

2kg 6N
(C) Friction force on 2 kg block is towards right. (r)
4kg 6N

8N 2kg
(D) Friction force on 2 kg block is towards left. (s)
4kg 20N

KEY 7
1. (A) – r ; (B) – q ; (C) – p ; (D) – s
2. (A) – s ; (B) – r ; (C) – p, s ; (D) – q, r

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