you are standing on the edge of a frozen pond next to the tree. you decide that you need to get away from the bear by backing up out onto the ice, but the ice is so slippery you can't get any traction and assume the friction between you and the ice is negligible. what should you do?
what force is responsible for accelerating you away from the bear?
what is the problem with your plan?
2. You managed to escape from the bear and now standing on the dry pavement. you would like to start walking down the road. Identify the force that will make that possible.
To solve this problem, we need to understand the fundamental principles of physics involved.
1. In order to gain traction on the slippery ice, you need to increase friction between yourself and the ice. There are a few things you can try to increase the friction:
- Plant your feet firmly and try to dig your heels into the ice. This will increase the surface area of contact, which can improve friction.
- Spread your weight evenly across your feet to maximize the force applied to the ice.
- If available, you can try to find an object like a stick or a branch to provide additional grip or create grooves in the ice.
- Lastly, if possible, look for an alternative path that might offer more grip, such as snow-covered areas nearby, rather than the slippery ice.
2. The force responsible for accelerating you away from the bear on the ice is the force of your muscles pushing against the ice. This force, combined with the friction between you and the ice, generates the necessary traction for movement. However, since you assumed negligible friction in the problem, the force of your muscles will not be sufficient to overcome the lack of traction and accelerate you away from the bear.
3. The problem with your plan of backing up onto the ice is the lack of traction due to negligible friction. Since the force of friction is minimal, even if you push against the ice with your muscles, the resulting acceleration will be negligible. Therefore, backing up onto the ice will not provide an effective means of escaping from the bear.
4. Once you have managed to escape from the bear and are standing on dry pavement, the force that will allow you to start walking down the road is the force of friction between your shoes and the ground. Friction is the force that opposes relative motion between two surfaces in contact, and in this case, it allows you to move forward by providing traction. As long as the coefficient of friction between your shoes and the pavement is sufficient, you will be able to walk down the road with the help of the frictional force between your feet and the ground.
1. In order to get away from the bear on the slippery ice, you can try the following steps:
Step 1: Lie down on the ice on your stomach, facing the bear.
Step 2: Start kicking your legs to generate some momentum in the opposite direction.
Step 3: As you kick, the conservation of momentum will cause you to move backwards due to the equal and opposite reaction.
Step 4: Continue kicking until you gain enough distance from the bear and can get back onto your feet.
2. The force responsible for accelerating you away from the bear is the reaction force. When you kick your legs on the ice, the equal and opposite reaction force pushes you back.
3. The problem with blindly backing up onto the ice is the lack of traction due to the slippery surface. Without traction, you won't be able to generate enough force to propel yourself away from the bear effectively. Lying down and kicking your legs against the ice increases the surface area in contact with the ice, which can improve traction and allow you to generate enough momentum to move away from the bear.
4. Once you are standing on the dry pavement and want to start walking down the road, the force that will make that possible is the force of friction between your feet and the ground. The frictional force helps provide the required grip, allowing you to push against the ground and move forward.