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Question:

A smooth wedge A is fitted in a chamber hanging from a fixed ceiling near the earth's surface. A block B placed at the top of the wedge takes time T to slide down the length of the wedge. If the cable supporting the chamber is broken at the same instant, what will happen to the block?

Take a time shorter than T to slide down the wedge

Remain at the top of the wedge

Jump off the wedge

Take a time longer than T to slide down the wedge

Solution:

As soon as the cable supporting the chamber is broken, it goes in a free fall. Hence the block B experiences no relative gravitational acceleration with respect to the wedge A. Hence it does not slide down the wedge, and remains at the top of the wedge.