What did I do wrong? 2 tests questions ( work and force questions )

  • Thread starter polarbearkids
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Force Work
In summary, the conversation discusses two physics problems involving work and forces. The first question asks for the amount of work needed to launch a 100-kg object to a height of 2 x 10^3 kilometers above Earth's surface. The second question involves a person jumping on a mattress with a spring constant of 4.3 N/m, applying a sinusoidal force with a frequency of 1 Hz and an amplitude of 3 cm. The conversation also includes attempts at solving the problems, with the correct solutions being provided.
  • #1
polarbearkids
6
0

Homework Statement


1 question: How much work must be done to launch a 100-kg object to a height of 2 x 10^3 kilometer above the Earth's surface?

2.A person with the mass of 10 kg jumps up and down on her mattress with a spring constant of 4.3 nK.m. She does this by applying a sinusoidal force at a frequency of 1 Hz. Assuming no dampening force exists, if her amplitude is 3 cm, what is the maximum force she places on the mattress?

by the way, these are the only one I completely missed. He took off the maximum amount : ( And I still have no idea how to solve them. So I'm just wondering.

The Attempt at a Solution


1 question ( my attempt ) - okay, first I thought I would use the Vesc equation, but I simply got velocity out of it and I didn't know how to go from velocity to work. Then I had the idea, I would simply use the fact work is independent of the path and work = the change in potential energy
so mgh = work thus, 100kg x 9.8m/s^2 x 2x10^6 mThus, I got 1.96 x 10^9 joules. Now, I knew this was too simply to be right, but I am still confused why this is the case. Why can't I use the fact work equals the change in potential energy in this case?

2 question: I used the equation A = (Fsmall o / m) /( w^2 - wsmall o ^2) and solved for w^2. then used the fact the max acceleration = Aw^2. Then to get the force. I simply used F=ma. and got 13N
So, why is this wrong? I'm pretty sure, I converted to all the correct units. But, again, I thought this was too easy. Did I use an equation that wasn't applicable?

Thanks in advance!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
polarbearkids said:

Homework Statement


1 question: How much work must be done to launch a 100-kg object to a height of 2 x 10^3 kilometer above the Earth's surface?

2.A person with the mass of 10 kg jumps up and down on her mattress with a spring constant of 4.3 nK.m. She does this by applying a sinusoidal force at a frequency of 1 Hz. Assuming no dampening force exists, if her amplitude is 3 cm, what is the maximum force she places on the mattress?

by the way, these are the only one I completely missed. He took off the maximum amount : ( And I still have no idea how to solve them. So I'm just wondering.

The Attempt at a Solution


1 question ( my attempt ) - okay, first I thought I would use the Vesc equation, but I simply got velocity out of it and I didn't know how to go from velocity to work. Then I had the idea, I would simply use the fact work is independent of the path and work = the change in potential energy
so mgh = work thus, 100kg x 9.8m/s^2 x 2x10^6 mThus, I got 1.96 x 10^9 joules. Now, I knew this was too simply to be right, but I am still confused why this is the case. Why can't I use the fact work equals the change in potential energy in this case?
P.E.=mgΔh is only valid for the approximation that $$Δh<<R_{earth}$$
You need to use ##ΔU=-Gm1m2/R^2##
 
  • #3
polarbearkids said:
2.A person with the mass of 10 kg jumps up and down on her mattress with a spring constant of 4.3 nK.m.


What kind of spring constant is that? Do you mean 4.3 N/m??
 
  • #4
If the amplitude is 3 cm, and the frequency is 1 Hz, then represent the displacement at time t by:

x = 3 sin(2πt) (cm)
With this representation of the displacement, what is the velocity v in cm/sec?
What is the acceleration a in cm/sec2?
 
  • #5
rude man said:
What kind of spring constant is that? Do you mean 4.3 N/m??

Yup. sorry! kN/m kiloNewtons per meter
 

1. What is the difference between work and force?

Work is the product of force and displacement, while force is a push or pull on an object. In other words, work is the measure of energy transferred to or from an object, while force is the cause of a change in an object's motion.

2. How do you calculate work?

Work is calculated by multiplying the force applied to an object with the distance the object moves in the direction of the force. This can be expressed as W = F x d, where W is work, F is force, and d is displacement.

3. What are the units of work and force?

In the international system of units (SI), the unit of work is joule (J) and the unit of force is newton (N). However, other units such as foot-pounds (ft-lb) and pound-force (lbf) are also commonly used in some countries.

4. How does work affect an object's energy?

Work done on an object can either increase or decrease its energy. If work is done on an object, its energy increases, and if work is done by an object, its energy decreases. This is based on the principle of conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed.

5. What are some real-life examples of work and force?

Some common examples of work and force in daily life include lifting a book, pushing a shopping cart, and throwing a ball. In each of these cases, a force is applied to an object, causing it to move and resulting in work being done.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
2
Replies
57
Views
3K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
2
Replies
56
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
25
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
9
Views
922
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
349
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
851
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
354
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
11
Views
1K
Back
Top