Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A block of mass rests on a smooth horizontal floor. A smooth groove, shaped as a quarter circle of radius , is cut into it: the groove is vertical at the top of the block and becomes horizontal at floor level, at the block's left edge, as shown in the figure. A small block of mass is released from rest at the top of the groove. Take .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Plan. Horizontal momentum and energy give the speeds. For the normal force, look at the bottom from the big block, which is not accelerating at that instant.
Step 1. Speeds. No horizontal force acts from outside, and the pair starts at rest, so the blocks move in opposite directions with . Every surface is smooth, so . Together:
So , and , the other way.
Step 2. The big block's frame at the bottom. At the bottom the groove is horizontal, so the push between the blocks is vertical. No horizontal force then acts on the big block, and its acceleration is zero at that instant. So, for that instant, its frame is an inertial frame, and Newton's second law works there without any pseudo force.
Step 3. Normal force. In that frame the small block moves on a circle of radius , with the relative speed . At the lowest point of that circle:
So .
Step 4. Distance. The centre of mass of the pair does not move sideways. Relative to the big block, the small block moves sideways. If the big block moves , then , so .
Answer: (a) and . (b) . (c) .
Check. With the big block held fixed, the small block would reach , and the normal force would be . Here the small block is slower over the ground but faster relative to the groove, so it presses harder.
Watch out. The radius belongs to the path relative to the groove, so the speed in must be the relative speed. Using the ground speed gives , which is wrong.
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