Physics problems Classical Mechanics and Gravitation

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on solving classical mechanics and gravitation problems, specifically involving projectile motion, stellar evolution, and orbital dynamics. The first question addresses the height a projectile would reach without air drag, with the correct method involving the conservation of energy principle. The second question explores the rotational period of a white dwarf formed from the Sun, emphasizing the conservation of angular momentum. The third question calculates the mass of Mars using Kepler's third law, highlighting the need to equate centripetal and gravitational accelerations for accurate results.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of conservation of energy principles in physics
  • Knowledge of angular momentum and its conservation
  • Familiarity with Kepler's laws of planetary motion
  • Basic concepts of gravitational forces and centripetal acceleration
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the conservation of energy in projectile motion
  • Learn about angular momentum conservation in astrophysical contexts
  • Explore Kepler's laws in detail, particularly their applications in orbital mechanics
  • Investigate gravitational forces and their role in celestial mechanics
USEFUL FOR

Students and educators in physics, astrophysicists, and anyone interested in classical mechanics and gravitational theory.

Superdreamer
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Hi i was wondering if anyone could help me with the following problems please,I'm a bit confused!

Q1. A 9.4 kg projectile is fired vertically upwards. Air drag dissipates
68 kJ during its ascent. How much higher would it have gone were air drag
negligible?

Here I used the formula mgh and worked out the height to be 738.17m.Is this right If not what formula and method should I use?

q2 Suppose the Sun were to run out of nuclear fuel and collapse to form a
white dwarf star, with a radius equal to that of the Earth (6.4 x 10 6 m).
Assuming no mass loss, what would then be the Sun’s new rotational
period. Assume that both the Sun and the white dwarf are uniform solid
spheres. (The period of the sun is currently about 25 days. The moment of
inertia of a sphere is 5
r M 2 2
and the solar radius is 6.7 x 10 8 m.)

Completely lost on this q don't know where to start?

Q3 The Martian satellite Phobos travels in an approximately circular orbit of
radius r = 9.4 x 10 6 m with a period T of 459 minutes. Calculate the mass of
Mars from this information.

I used keplers 3rd law here Gm=4piR^2/T^2 and found the mass to be 6.43 x10^-13 is this the correct way for doing this?
 
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Superdreamer said:
Hi i was wondering if anyone could help me with the following problems please,I'm a bit confused!

Q1. A 9.4 kg projectile is fired vertically upwards. Air drag dissipates
68 kJ during its ascent. How much higher would it have gone were air drag
negligible?

Here I used the formula mgh and worked out the height to be 738.17m.Is this right If not what formula and method should I use?
Your answer is correct.
q2 Suppose the Sun were to run out of nuclear fuel and collapse to form a white dwarf star, with a radius equal to that of the Earth (6.4 x 10 6 m).
Assuming no mass loss, what would then be the Sun’s new rotational
period. Assume that both the Sun and the white dwarf are uniform solid
spheres. (The period of the sun is currently about 25 days. The moment of
inertia of a sphere is 5
r M 2 2
and the solar radius is 6.7 x 10 8 m.)
Angular momentum must be conserved in this scenario:
[tex]L = I\omega = L' = I'\omega'[/tex]
where:
[tex]I = \frac{2mr^2}{5}[/itex]<br /> <br /> Since m remains constant, [itex]\omega[/itex] must change as r changes. Work it out.<br /> <br /> <blockquote data-attributes="" data-quote="" data-source="" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Q3 The Martian satellite Phobos travels in an approximately circular orbit of radius r = 9.4 x 10 6 m with a period T of 459 minutes. Calculate the mass of Mars from this information.<br /> <br /> I used keplers 3rd law here Gm=4piR^2/T^2 and found the mass to be 6.43 x10^-13 is this the correct way for doing this? </div> </div> </blockquote>I don't think you have Kepler's third law stated correctly. <br /> <br /> The centripetal acceleration has to be supplied by gravity. The centripetal acceleration for Phobos is: [itex]a_c = \omega^2 r[/itex]. The gravitational acceleration is: <br /> <br /> [tex]a_g = \frac{GM_{mars}}{r^2}[/tex]<br /> <br /> Equate the two and work out [itex]M_{mars}[/itex] from that.<br /> <br /> AM[/tex]
 

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