AMME 1550 DYNAMICS 1 2011 Quiz 7

The slider of mass path shown below: moves with negligible friction along the constrained

Determine the coordinates

of the spring base for the following conditions:

Coordinates for the points (in meters) are: ; ;

Note that the un-stretched length of the spring is effectively zero. Gravity acts in the negative direction. and are the kinetic and gravitational potential energies at point . Hint: The expressions for the system energy change from A to C, and from A to B will constrain the possible values of .

Quiz 7 Solution From A C: There are no external forces which do work; gravitational potential and kinetic energy terms cancel from the given conditions:

Where in the above is the stretched length (which is effectively the total lengthgiven) of the spring at point . The above requires that either at and , the stretched length of the spring is the same (not possible), or that the spring base must lie on the dashed line shown below:

For the points given, the line has equation

From A B: There are no external forces which do work; gravitational potential energy term cancels from the given conditions:

Noting that the un-stretched length of the spring is zero and using the dashed line above, we can write (by geometry)

Substitute the above into