3-11 M&K

The coefficient of static friction, s, between the flat bed of a truck and the crate it carries is 0.30. Determine
the minimum stopping distance x, that the truck can have from an initial speed of 70 km / hour with constant
deceleration if the crate is not to slip forward.

coordinate system : x-y

system defined to be crate, system boundaries

coincident with crate boundaries

solution: As the truck decelerates the frictional force (F = N) will retard the crate from beginning to
slide forward. The sum of all external forces in the x direction (in this case the frictional force) on the
crate is equal to the mass of the crate times its acceleration in the x direction and is in the same
direction.
s := .3

coefficient of static friction

mass of crate = mass

vo := 70

km
hr

(Fx = mass ax)

The only external force in the x direction on the crate is the frictional force from the truck bed. The maximum
N) is independent of the deceleration of the truck and will occur at an acceleration value
value of this force (
corresponding to whwere slippage is impending.

3-11_sliding_crate_in_moving_truck.mcd 1 3/23/00 6:17 AM

Ff = s mass g

therefore, since F=ma

ax := s g

s mass g = mass ax

acceleration in same direction as force, to the left

ax = 2.942 m sec

-2

to the left

deceleration - As long as the acceleration of the truck is greater (less negative) than - 2.943 m/sec2 the friction
force will build up so as to equal the force created by the deceleration of the truck and the crate will remain in
static equilibrium. If the acceleration is more negative than this, then mass*acc > *m*g and the crate must
move. It will move to the right relative to the truck bed BUT relative to an interial coordinate system ( a guy
standing on the sidewalk) it may simply decelerate slower than the truck or stand still.

O.K. - based on the deceleration compute the minimum required stopping distance

a = v

therefore

ds

v dv = a ds

integrate each side, using limits

1
v dv = vo2
vo
2

left side

ax dx = x
0

ax x =

1
2

vo

right side, ax is a constant, take it outside the integral sign

1 vo
x :=

2 ax

...solve for x

x = 64.257 m

3-11_sliding_crate_in_moving_truck.mcd 2 3/23/00 6:17 AM

FURTHER EXAMINATION:

Now, if the deceleration of the truck creates an equivalent force greater than the maximum possible frictional
force, the crate will develop an acceleration relative to the truck bed and relative to an inertial coordinate
system. The magnitude of the acceleration will be proportional to the difference between the force due to
deceleration and the frictional force.
Lets look at what the crate does as a function of how fast the truck stops

mass := 1 kg

ax := 0

m
sec

, .05

m
sec

.. 5

m
sec

range of decelerations

F ( ax) := mass ax
Fmax_friction := s mass g
-2

Fmax_friction = 2.942 kg m sec

Now based on the equations of relative motion we know that :

abs. crate acceleration = abs. acceleration of the truck + acceleration of the crate relative to the truck bed.
Note that there is an upper limit to the value of

Fx on the crate. This value is equal to the maximum frictional

i

force, N. This implies there is an upper limit to the the absolute acceration of the crate, the value of
acceleration which will balance the frictional force. The conditional statement below would apply to what a
"stationary" observer would see. If the acceleration of the truck is "less negative" than -2.943 m/sec2 a
stationary observer would see the crate decelerate at the same rate as the truck, it would not slide relative to
the truck bed. However, once the deceleration of the truck reached an acceleration equivalent to the maximum
frictional force it will begin to slide relative to the truck bed. However because the there is an upper limit to the
frictional force which constitutes the left side of the second law there must be a corresponding upper limit to
the absolute acceleration of the crate.

F (ax) Fmax_friction
m
abs_crate_acc (ax) := if ax > 2.943
, ax , ax +

2
mass

sec

F (ax) Fmax_friction
NOTE : The second alternative in the statement above, ax +
, consists of two parts. The
mass

first term, ax is the absolute acceleration of the crate. The second term is always positive and is the correction
to the absolute acceleration to account for the upper limit on the frictional force.

3-11_sliding_crate_in_moving_truck.mcd 3 3/23/00 6:17 AM

F ( ax) Fmax_friction

m
m
rel_crate_acc ( ax) := if ax > 2.943
, 0
,

2
2
mass
sec
sec

Explanation: as long as the absolute deceleration of the truck is less negative than -2.943 the friction force will
build up so as to keep the crate in static equilibrium. Once the deceleration exceeds (more negative than)
-2.943 the friction force has reached a maximum (N) and can no longer maintain static equilibrium. Thus, the
crate will appear to accelerate. It will appear to accelerate forward but this is only relative to the truck bed. In
fact, its absolute acceleration relative to an inertial coordinate system will remain fixed at
- 2.943. Thus, even when it slides, it's absolute acceleration is still to the left and in the same direction as the
sum of the external forces on it. Its also interesting to note that once the box breaks free of the truck bed and
begins to move the rate of deceleration of the truck is no longer a factor.

Absolute and relative crate acceleration

2
1.58
1.17
0.75

acceleration

0.33
0.0833
0.5
0.92
1.33
1.75
2.17
2.58
3

4.5

3.5

3
2.5
2
absolute acceleration of truck

1.5

absolute crate acceleration

crate acceleration w.r.t. truck bed

3-11_sliding_crate_in_moving_truck.mcd 4 3/23/00 6:17 AM

0.5