I am second guessing myself
A 4 kg block and a 45 kg block are placed side-by-side at the top of a frictionless ramp. Each is given a very light tap to begin their race to the bottom of the hill. In the absence of air resistance
a. the 4 kg block wins the race.
b. the 45 kg block wins the race.
c. the two blocks end in a tie.
d. there’s not enough information to determine which block wins the race.
To determine which block wins the race, we need to consider Newton's second law of motion, which states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass.
In this case, both blocks are given the same initial tap, so they will experience the same net force. However, the acceleration of each block will be different due to their different masses.
The acceleration of an object can be calculated using the following formula:
acceleration = net force / mass
Since the net force is the same for both blocks, the block with the smaller mass will have a larger acceleration. Therefore, the 4 kg block will win the race, as it will reach the bottom of the hill first.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
a. The 4 kg block wins the race.