A wedge of mass M rests on a horizontal frictionless surface. A point mass m is placed on the wedge, whose surface is also frictionless. Find the horizontal acceleration a of the wedge.Solution:
Concepts:
Lagrangian Mechanics
Reasoning:
All forces, except the forces of constraint, are derivable from a potential. The Lagrangian formalism is well suited for such a system because we do not have to solve for the forces of constraint or explicitly eliminate them from the equations of motion.
Details of the calculation: