Solving Ball Roll Down Ramp: 200 m/s Speed for Steel Ball

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a marble rolling down an incline and colliding with a steel ball at rest. The goal is to determine the height from which the marble should be released to achieve a specific speed for the steel ball after the collision. The subject area includes concepts from mechanics, specifically elastic collisions and energy conservation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of formulas related to elastic collisions and kinetic energy. There is an attempt to clarify the desired final velocity of the steel ball, with some confusion regarding the units of speed. Questions arise about the calculations for the marble's velocity at the bottom of the ramp and how to relate that to the height needed for the marble's release.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing various approaches and calculations. Some guidance has been offered regarding the conservation of energy principle, and there is an exploration of the necessary calculations to find the initial height. However, there is no explicit consensus on the correct approach or final outcome yet.

Contextual Notes

There is a noted confusion regarding the final velocity of the steel ball, with a discrepancy between 20 m/s and 200 m/s. Additionally, participants are considering the effects of the incline angle on the marble's acceleration and the implications for energy calculations.

ixbethxi
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A 110 g marble rolls down a 39.0 deg. incline. At the bottom, just after it exits onto a horizontal table, it collides with a 290 g steel ball at rest.

How high above the table should the marble be released to give the steel ball a speed of 200 m/s?

well first i tried to use the formula for perfectly elastic collisions
(Vf)steel= (2m(marble)/ m(marble)+m(steel))*v_f(ball1)

and i solved for v_f and then i plugged that into mgh(initial)= 0.5m*v^2

and none that didnt work so now I am confused again
 
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I just want to be sure. Do you mean final velocity of 20 m/s? Or do you really mean 200 m/s?

In an elastic collision you can assume that the Kinetic Energy of the balls will be the same before and after.

KE = 1/2 mv^2

1) Find the final KE of the steel ball after impact (v=20 or v=200).
2) Use this number to calculate the velocity of the smaller ball just prior to impact.
3) Calculate the initial height necessary in order to accelerate the ball to the velocity found in step 2.

Furthermore if I'm not mistaken, use the sin(39) to help calculate the acceleration of the ball down the ramp. After all if the ball were on a table, the angle would be zero and sin(0) = 0. If the ball were up against a wall the angle would be 90 (straight down), and sin (90) = 1.
 
Last edited:
o whoops.. i meant cm/s
 
ok this is what i got so far

0.5*m*v^2= 0.5*.290kg*200cm/s^2= 5800

5800= (0.5)(.110kg)(v^2)
i solved for v and i got 324.7cm/s^2

now i know this is the velocity at the bottom of the ramp but i don't know hwo to get the height from here.
 
Use conservation of energy.

gain in KE = loss in PE.
 
what is the unit of energy you got?
 

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