Solutions to Problem Set 2 (in Phys 241X)

John Hauptman
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA (Dated: 10 September 2010) The solutions to Phys 241X Problem Set 2 are shown in this LaTeX format provided by Je Kollasch. LaTeX is easy and logical, and produces publishable quality output that all mathematicians and almost all physicists use routinely in their work. In fact, this template is for submitting papers to Physical Review. I have simply lifted the template from Je Kollaschs email, and lled in the sections with my own words. It will take some eort to get a LaTeX installation on your computer that is convenient for you.

I.

INTRODUCTION

The assigned problems will dene the content of the course, and these problems are always open for discussion with me or your recitation instructor. You are encouraged to talk and work with your fellow students on these problems. Probably one of the assigned problems will be graded in detail by your recitation instructor, while the remaining problems will just be noted. All problems will be taken from the text by Kleppner and Kolenkow. You will see other problems in recitation for group solution. Of course, be completely free to call or email me to talk about any of these problems, at any time.

Lets ask what happens. The mass crosses yA (lets call this time t1 ), then it crosses yB (call this time t2 ), it reaches its maximum height, then falls, crossing yB again (call it time t3 ), and crosses yA again (call it time t4 ). We can sense that the quadratic equation will have two solutions, and well choose the lesser time for t1 and the greater time for t4 , and similarly for when y = yB . These four equations are v0
2 2gy v0 A g

t1 =

t2 =
II. SOLUTIONS

v0

2 2g (y + h) v0 A g

Prob 1.12 I will use the gure drawn in the text (because I have trouble making gures in LaTeX !) The mass m is thrown upwards. Conventionally, i is horizontal unit vector, and j is the vertical unit vector. It is not specied whether it is thrown vertically, or whether there is also a horizontal component. In fact, it will not matter since the vertical motion and the horizontal motion are independent. There are two vertical height markers, at y = yA and y = yB . There is one F=ma equation for the mass m; the only force acting is gravity, g j, so the equation of motion is [mg ] = may and so ay = g.

t3 =

v0 +

2 2g (y + h) v0 A g

t4 =

v0 +

2 2gy v0 A g

Note that weve taken the negative root for the crossing times on the way up, and the positive root for the later crossings on the way down. From the gure, we dene TA and TB as
2 2gy v0 A g

TA = t4 t1 = 2 and

The resulting vertical velocity is vy = vy0 + ay t, and the 1 ay t2 . We can choose vertical position is y (t) = y0 +vy0 t+ 2 the starting position to be y0 = 0 and call vy0 = v0 , so g y (t) = v0 t t2 . 2 Solving for the time t at which y (t) is some value, such as yA or yB = yA + h, is the solution of g 2 t v0 t + yA = 0. This is a quadratic equation with two solutions, t= v0
2 2gy v0 . g

TB = t3 t2 = 2

2 2g (y + h) v0 A g

We want to nd g as a function of TA , TB , andh. It might take some trail and error with algebra, but it seems sensible to square TA and TB , transpose g for convenience,
2 2 g 2 TA = 4v0 8gyA

and
2 2 g 2 TB = 4v0 8gyA + 8gh

2 Subtracting the top equation from the bottom equation isolates the 8gh term, and canceling a g gives 8h g= 2 2 TA TB This is an experiment that could be done with the apparatus in Lab #1 by tilting the track by 0.1 radian, specifying two points A, B on the track, and getting t1 , t2 , t3 , and t4 from the x(t) data printout. Prob 2.1 (I am sorry to have assigned this problem; it is not at all illuminating of anything.) The mass of a particle is m = 5 kg, and the force on it is F = (4t2 i 3t j) N. Therefore, the acceleration is a = F/m, and the velocity is
t

and +T M2 g = M2 ay . The tension T is the same (frictionless pulley) and the string does not stretch, so ax = ay . It is worth while to carefully check that an x-movement of M1 is the same as a negative y -movement of M2 . Call ax = ay = a. Then the two motion equations are T = M1 a solving for a gives a= M2 g. M1 + M2 and T M2 g = M2 (a),

v(t) =
0

a(t)dt =

1 [(4/3)t3 i (3/2)t2 j] m

in m/s

and
t

r(t) =
0

v(t)dt = (t4 /15) i (t3 /10) j in m.

Does this make sense? If M1 = 0, a = g . If M1 >> M2 , a 0. 2 = The distance M1 moves in time t is x = 1 2 at M2 1 2 2 [ M1 +M2 ]gt .
1 2 Clue: for M1 = M2 , = 4 gt .

The cross product r v I did with a determinant. Since r and v are in the i j plane, the cross product will be . I got along the perpendicular to both of them, along k r v = t6 /150 k in m2 /s.

III.

CONCLUSIONS

To be perfectly honest, it took me too much time to put these solutions into this nice easy-to-read form. It is not worth your time (unless you are very good at LaTeX).

Prob 2.2 This is like the laboratory experiment. i is horizontal unit vector, and j is the vertical unit vector. There is are two masses, M1 and M2 , connected by a string with a tension T . M1 has one force on it, T i. M2 has two forces, +T j and M2 g . The two F=ma equations are +T = M1 ax

Acknowledgments

I thank Je Kollasch for making this easy to do.