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CGP EDU Academic Team
Published on: September 12, 2026
If all surfaces are smooth, then to keep the block stationary with respect to the wedge, the wedge should be given a horizontal acceleration towards .....................The magnitude of the acceleration is given by ....................., and the horizontal force to be applied on the wedge would be .......................

Text Solution
Verified by ExpertsThe correct answer is:
A
To keep the block stationary with respect to the wedge, we need to apply Newton's laws to analyze the forces acting on both the block and the wedge.
Step 1: Assume the wedge is accelerating horizontally to the right with an acceleration 'a'. The angle of the wedge with the horizontal is 'θ'.
Step 2: For the block to remain stationary on the wedge, the net acceleration of the block must equal the acceleration of the wedge. Thus, we set up the equations based on the components of the forces.
The force acting down the slope on the block due to gravity is given by:
$$ F_{gravity} = mg o { mg ext{ is the weight of the block} } $$
The acceleration along the incline due to the wedge's motion will be:
$$ a = g an(θ) $$
Step 3: Now, equating the needed force components, we deduce that for the wedge to provide this acceleration 'a', the horizontal force must counterbalance the gravitational component:
$$ F_{horizontal} = m imes a = mg an(θ) $$
Therefore, the wedge should be given a horizontal acceleration towards the left with a magnitude equal to $$ a = g an(θ) $$, and the force applied on the wedge would be $ F_{horizontal} = mg an(θ) $. Hence, A.
Step 1: Assume the wedge is accelerating horizontally to the right with an acceleration 'a'. The angle of the wedge with the horizontal is 'θ'.
Step 2: For the block to remain stationary on the wedge, the net acceleration of the block must equal the acceleration of the wedge. Thus, we set up the equations based on the components of the forces.
The force acting down the slope on the block due to gravity is given by:
$$ F_{gravity} = mg o { mg ext{ is the weight of the block} } $$
The acceleration along the incline due to the wedge's motion will be:
$$ a = g an(θ) $$
Step 3: Now, equating the needed force components, we deduce that for the wedge to provide this acceleration 'a', the horizontal force must counterbalance the gravitational component:
$$ F_{horizontal} = m imes a = mg an(θ) $$
Therefore, the wedge should be given a horizontal acceleration towards the left with a magnitude equal to $$ a = g an(θ) $$, and the force applied on the wedge would be $ F_{horizontal} = mg an(θ) $. Hence, A.
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