Physics 211: Lecture 6

Today’s Agenda

 Recap
 Problems...problems...problems!!
 Accelerometer
 Inclined plane
 Motion in a circle

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 1

Something from Opportunity Set 2

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 2

 Total acceleration = tangential plus radial

blue arrow
is velocity Look at this in polar
coordinates

Tangential motion
Tangential accel

Radial motion?
Radial accel

a  aTANG
2
 aRADIAL
2

Tangential
deceleration
Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 3
 Total acceleration = tangential plus radial

blue arrow
is velocity Tang accel is given

Radial accel
depends on v and R

aR=v2/R

Figure out v at
bottom, to figure out
a there.

Tangential a  aTANG
2
 aRADIAL
2

deceleration

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 4

 Total acceleration = tangential plus radial

blue arrow
is velocity a  aTANG
2
 aRADIAL
2

Tang accel is given

given
Radial accel
depends on v and R
v2
Centripetal
aR=v 2
/R =
R

Figure out v at
bottom, to figure out
a there.

v 2  v02  2aTANG  path length 

Tangential
R
deceleration path length =
2
Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 5
Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 6
Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 7
Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 8
Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 9
 Review

 Discussion of dynamics.

 Review Newton’s 3 Laws

 The Free Body Diagram

 The tools we have for making & solving problems:

» Ropes & Pulleys (tension)
» Hooke’s Law (springs)

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 10

 Review: Pegs & Pulleys

 Used to change the direction of forces

 An ideal massless pulley or ideal smooth peg will
change the direction of an applied force without altering
the magnitude: The tension is the same on both sides
for a massless rope!
massless rope

F1 = -T i
ideal peg | F 1 | = | F2 |
or pulley
F2 = T j

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 11

 Review: Springs Spring demo

 Hooke’s Law: The force exerted by a spring is proportional

to the distance the spring is stretched or compressed from
its relaxed position.

 FX = -kx Where x is the displacement from the

equilibrium and k is the constant of
proportionality.

relaxed
position

FX = 0
x

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 12

 Lecture 6, Act 1
Springs
 A spring with spring constant 40 N/m has a relaxed length of 1 m. When the spring is stretched
so that it is 1.5 m long, what force is exerted on a block attached to the end of the spring?

x=0 x=1 x=0 x = 1.5

k k
M M

(a) -20 N (b) 60 N (c) -60 N

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 13

 Lecture 6, Act 1
Solution
 Recall Hooke’s law:

 FX = -kx Where x is the displacement from equilibrium.

FX = - (40) ( .5)
FX = - 20 N

(a) -20 N (b) 60 N (c) -60 N

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 14

 Problem: Pendulum Accelerometer

 A weight of mass m is hung from the ceiling of a car with a

massless string. The car travels on a horizontal road (duh, it’s
Illinois), and has an acceleration a in the x direction. The
string makes an angle  with respect to the vertical (y) axis.
Solve for  in terms of a and g.
  tells you what a is, then. The pendulum is an accelerometer

a

i

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 15

 Accelerometer...

 Draw a free body diagram for the mass:

Remember
 What are all of the forces acting?
Fnet=ma
T (string tension)


i
mg (gravitational force)

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 16

 Accelerometer...

 Using components (recommended) you decompose or

resolve (same thing) F=ma into components:

i: FX = TX = T sin  = ma TX

TY
j: FY = TY  mg T  j
= T cos  mg = 0
m
ma i

mg

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 17

 Accelerometer...

 Using components :

i: T sin  = ma
TX

j: T cos - mg = 0
TY
T  j
 Eliminate T :
m
a ma i
T sin = ma tan  
T cos = mg g
mg
It’s an accelerometer!
For every  there is a particular a

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 18

 a
tan   Accelerometer...
g
Cart w/
 Let’s put in some numbers: accelerometer

 Say the car goes from 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds:

 60 mph = 60 x 0.45 m/s = 27 m/s.
 Acceleration a = Δv/Δt = 2.7 m/s2.
helium
 So a/g = 2.7 / 9.8 = 0.28 (no units).
accelerometer

  = arctan (a/g) = 15.6 deg

a


Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 19

 Another Problem: Inclined plane

 A block of mass m slides down a frictionless ramp that

makes angle  with respect to the horizontal. What is its
acceleration a ?

m
a

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 20

 Inclined plane...

 Define convenient axes parallel and perpendicular to plane:

 Acceleration a is in x direction only.

j
m
a
g

i


What’s the “physics” here? Gravity provides downward force.

Ramp constrains the motion
Where’s block going to go?

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 21

 Inclined plane...
Identify the forces in the problem
free body diagram Incline
 Force components: consider x and y components
separately: just draw forces acting on box
 i: mg sin  =ma. a = g sin 

 j: N - mg cos = 0. N = mg cos 

ma j

mg sin 
N 
mg cos  i
mg

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 22

 Angles of an Inclined plane

The triangles are similar, so the angles are the same!

Prove the triangles are similar

ma = mg sin 

N 
mg


Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 23

 Lecture 6, Act 2
Forces and Motion
 A block of mass M = 5.1 kg is supported on a frictionless ramp by a spring having constant k = 125 N/m. When the ramp is horizontal the equilibrium position of the mass is at x = 0. When the
angle of the ramp is changed to 30o what is the new equilibrium position of the block x1?

(a) x1 = 20cm (b) x1 = 25cm (c) x1 = 30cm

= ?
x1
x=0 k
k M
M  = 30o

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 24

 Lecture 6, Act 2
Solution
 Choose the x-axis to be along downward direction of ramp. (smart)
 FBD: The total force on the block is zero since it’s at rest. (aha!)
 Consider x-direction:Force of gravity on block is Fx,g = Mg sin
Force of spring on block is Fx,s = -kx1
N
0
x1 -k x1
convenient coord system =
F x, s
y k
M
x
Fx,g = Mg sin
 Mg


Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 25

 Lecture 6, Act 2
Solution
 Since the total force in the x-direction must be 0:

Μg sin θ
Mg sinkx1 x1 
κ
5.1kg  9.8 1m s 2  0.5
x1   0 .2 m
125 N m
x1 -k x1
=
F x, s
y k
M
x 
s i n
M g
=
F x, g


Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 26

 Problem: Two Blocks

 Two blocks of masses m1 and m2 are placed in contact on a

horizontal frictionless surface. If a force of magnitude F is
applied to the box of mass m1, what is the force on the
block of mass m2?
 Intuition
 Technique (free body diagram or FBD)

Only force acting on 2

F F2,1 Is F2,1
F1,2
m1 m2

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 27

 Problem: Two Blocks
 Realize that F = (m1+ m2) a :
F / (m1+ m2) = a
 Draw FBD of block m2 and apply FNET = ma:

F2,1 = m2 a F2,1
m2

 Substitute for a :

 F  m2
F2,1  m2   F2,1  F
 m1  m2  (m1 + m2)

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 28

 Problem: Two Blocks

 What about the net force on mass 1?

 F acts in +x-direction, but F1,2 acts in –x-direction

 The net force on mass 1 matters

 m1 
FNET on m1  F
m1  m2

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 29

 Problem: Tension and Angles

 A box is suspended from the ceiling by two ropes making an

angle  with the horizontal. What is the tension in each rope?

 

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 30

 Problem: Tension and Angles

 Draw a FBD: T1 T2
j
T1sin  T2sin 
 
T1cos  T2cos  i

mg

 Since the box isn’t going anywhere, Fx,NET = 0 and Fy,NET = 0

Fx,NET = T1cos  - T2cos  = 0 T1 = T2

mg
Fy,NET = T1sin  + T2sin  - mg = 0 T1 = T2 =
2 sin 

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 31

 Problem: Motion in a Circle
Tetherball
 A boy ties a rock of mass m to the end of a string and twirls
it in the vertical plane. The distance from his hand to the
rock is R. The speed of the rock at the top of its trajectory is
v.
 What is the tension T in the string at the top of the rock’s
trajectory?
v
T

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 32

 Motion in a Circle...

 Draw a Free Body Diagram (pick y-direction to be down):

 We will use FNET = ma (surprise)
y
 First find FNET in y direction:

mg
FNET = mg +T T

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 33

 Motion in a Circle...
FNET = mg +T

 Acceleration in y direction is known: v y

 It’s centripetal…
mg
ma = mv2 / R T
F = ma

mg + T = mv2 / R
R

T = mv2 / R - mg

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 34

 Motion in a Circle... Bucket
 What is the minimum speed of the mass at the top of the trajectory such that the string does not go limp?
 i.e. find v such that T = 0.

mv2 / R = mg + T

v2 / R = g

 Notice that this does

not depend on m.

mg
T= 0
v  Rg

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 35

 Lecture 6, Act 3 Track
Motion in a Circle w/ bump
 A skier of mass m goes over a mogul having a radius of
curvature R. How fast can she go without leaving the
ground?
v

mg N

Rg
(a) v = mRg (b) v = (c) v = Rg
m

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 36

 Lecture 6, Act 3
Solution
 mv2 / R = mg - N

 For N = 0:
v  Rg v

mg N

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 37

 Recap of Today’s lecture:

 Example Problems

 Accelerometer
 Inclined plane (Text: example 6-1)
 Motion in a circle (Text: 3-5, 5-2, 9-1)

 Look at textbook problems Chapter 4: # 49

Chapter 5: # 65, 69

 Next time: Friction…

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 38

 Accelerometer...

 Alternative solution using vectors (elegant but not as

straightforward):

 Find the total vector force FNET:

T T (string tension)

mg 

m
FTOT

mg (gravitational force)

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 39

 Accelerometer...

 Alternative solution using vectors (elegant but not as

systematic):
 Find the total vector force FNET:
 Recall that FNET = ma:
T (string tension)

T
mg 
m

ma
mg (gravitational force)

 So ma a a
tan    tan  
mg g g

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 40

 Inclined plane...

 Alternative solution using vectors:

j
m

N 
mg
i

a = g sin i
How do we know what is?
N = mg cos j

Physics 211: Lecture 6, Pg 41