Inclined Plane Simulator
Drag the block and tilt the ramp yourself, flick it, and watch forces, speed and energy update live.
Drag the block, flick it, or drag the glowing end of the ramp to tilt it.
Weight (mg)0 N
Along ramp (mg sin θ)0 N
Normal (mg cos θ)0 N
Friction0 N
Acceleration0 m/s²
Speed0 m/s
State–
Things to try
- Press Ice, then Rubber. Which surface lets the block slide at 20 degrees?
- Drag the glowing end of the ramp until the block just starts to slide, then compare the angle with arctan(mu s).
- Grab the block, flick it up the slope, and watch friction bring it back down.
- Turn on Components to see mg sin(theta) and mg cos(theta) as dashed arrows.
What you can learn
- Weight splits into mg sin θ along the ramp and mg cos θ into it.
- The block slides once tan θ is greater than the static friction coefficient.
- Acceleration while sliding is g (sin θ − μk cos θ).
Frequently asked questions
At what angle does a block start to slide?
When tan θ = μs, so the critical angle is arctan(μs). Steeper than that and static friction can no longer hold the block.
Why is the normal force smaller on a steeper ramp?
Only the component of weight perpendicular to the surface, mg cos θ, is pushed into the ramp, and it shrinks as the angle grows.