How Do You Calculate Power and Work in Physics Problems?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating power and work in physics problems, specifically focusing on the relationship between work, force, velocity, and the time derivative to find power. The context includes a scenario involving a baseball and its motion after being pitched.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore how to differentiate the work equation to find power and question which terms are functions of time. There is also a discussion about the work done on the baseball and its relation to kinetic energy.

Discussion Status

The discussion includes attempts to clarify the differentiation process and the implications of calculus in solving the problem. Some participants express confusion regarding the calculus concepts, while others suggest that the original poster may need to reconsider their approach given their background.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of the original poster's lack of calculus experience and a note that their course may not require calculus, which raises questions about the appropriateness of the problem for their current level of study.

ACLerok
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The answer to the first part of one of the problems is:
W=F*v*t*cos(theta)
The second asks me to take the time derivative of this equation in order to find the power produced. How do I do this??

Also, say a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand at a speed of v and the mass of the baseball is M_baseball. You can ignore air resistance. What is the work done on the ball by the guy??
 
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Which terms are functions of time?
 
f, v, and theta should all be functions of time (usually t). Simply take the derivative with respect to t.

For the second part of the problem, you can use the fact that the total work is equal to the kinetic energy of the ball.
 
sorry, I've never taken calculus.. i don't undersatnd what youa re saying/
 
Your original statement of the problem was "The second asks me to take the time derivative of this equation in order to find the power produced."

If you have never taken calculus then you cannot do this problem and probably should not be taking this course.
 
can u please just tell me the answer?? my prof. says calculus is not required for my physics course. its just that we haven't covered this material yet and I'm moving ahead..

anyone?
 
Last edited:

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