Physics

To determine the kinetic energy at the bottom of the incline, we can use the principle of conservation of mechanical energy. The initial potential energy at the top is completely converted into kinetic energy at the bottom because the incline is frictionless.

 

Calculate the initial potential energy at the top.

The object starts from rest, so all its initial energy is potential energy. We can use the formula for gravitational potential energy:

where:

(mass of the object),

(acceleration due to gravity),

is the vertical height of the incline.

 

To find , we use the length of the incline and the angle of the incline. The vertical height is given by:

where:

(length of the incline),