Analyze forces and acceleration of an object on a frictionless or frictional slope.
Inclined Plane Parameters
Calculation Results
Enter mass and angle to calculate
About this calculator
Quick Reference
θSlope angle
F_nm × g × cos θ
F_pm × g × sin θ
μCoefficient of friction
Overview
An inclined plane is a flat surface tilted at an angle. Gravity acting on an object on the plane can be resolved into two components: one perpendicular to the plane (Normal Force) and one parallel to the plane (Acceleration Force).
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Pro Tips
Normal Force ($F_n$) is always perpendicular to the surface.
Parallel Force ($F_x$) is what causes the object to slide down.
If $tan( heta) > mu$, the object will start sliding from rest.
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Fun Facts
"The inclined plane is one of the six classical simple machines."
"Ramps allow you to move heavy loads using less force by traveling a longer distance."
"Galileo used inclined planes to study gravity because free fall was too fast to measure accurately with 17th-century clocks."
