A pure copper penny is slid along a steel counter top. If the coefficient of kinetic friction between the copper and the steel is 0.36, what is the magnitude of the penny's acceleration?
To find the magnitude of the penny's acceleration, we can use Newton's second law of motion:
F = m * a
where F is the net force acting on the penny, m is the mass of the penny, and a is the acceleration.
In this case, the net force is caused by the friction between the copper penny and the steel counter top. The frictional force can be found using the equation:
f = μ * N
where f is the frictional force, μ is the coefficient of kinetic friction, and N is the normal force.
The normal force N is the force exerted by the counter top on the penny, and is equal to the weight of the penny, since the penny is not accelerating vertically. The weight of the penny can be calculated using the equation:
W = m * g
where W is the weight, m is the mass of the penny, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
Once we have the frictional force, we can substitute it into the equation F = m * a:
f = m * a
Finally, we can solve for the acceleration:
a = f / m
Now let's calculate the acceleration.
Given:
Coefficient of kinetic friction (μ) = 0.36
We need to know the mass of the penny and the acceleration due to gravity to continue. Could you please provide these values?