Help: maximum force of an object when given impulse and time on a graph

In summary, the problem involves finding the maximum force of an object from an impulse graph. The graph has a constant slope and peaks at 6 seconds before falling back to 0 force at 8 seconds. The area under the line is calculated using (1/2)bh, but the solutions obtained (3/2 and 6/5) were incorrect. The question asks if the slope is still constant during the fall between 6 seconds and 8 seconds.
  • #1
hsphysicsstud
1
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I need help finding the maximum force of an object from an impulse graph. The graph of the force vs time gives me up to 10 seconds and the problem tells me that the impulse is 6.0 N*s. the line of the graph starts at (0,0), rises with a constant slope and peaks at 6 seconds. From there it falls back to 0 force at 8 seconds. The line then continues at 0 on the y-axis but the the x-axis passes 10 secs. My first thought in finding the area of the region under the line was to do (1/2)bh. So I did (1/2)8h=6.0 and when i solved for h got 3/2. That came out to be wrong so then i tried changing the base to 10 because although the line reached 0 at 8 seconds it continued moving horizontally to 10 secs and I wasn't sure if that made a difference or not. So I did (1/2)10h=6 and got 6/5 and that was still wrong. So now I'm stumped because every time I look up how to find impulse it tells me that do the area and since I worked backwards I thought I had done it right but I guess I didn't. Can anyone tell me where I went wrong?
 
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  • #2
Is the slope still a constant during the fall between 6s-8s?
 

1. What is impulse and how is it related to force?

Impulse is the change in momentum of an object and is equal to the product of force and time. This means that the greater the impulse, the greater the change in momentum and therefore the greater the force.

2. How is the maximum force of an object determined on a graph?

The maximum force of an object can be determined by finding the highest point on the graph that represents the object's momentum. This point represents the maximum impulse and therefore the maximum force.

3. Can the maximum force of an object change over time?

Yes, the maximum force of an object can change over time. This is because the force depends on the object's momentum, which can change due to external factors such as collisions or acceleration.

4. How does the time affect the maximum force of an object?

The time on the graph represents the duration of the force acting on the object. The longer the duration of the force, the greater the impulse and therefore the greater the maximum force.

5. Are there any other factors that can affect the maximum force of an object?

Yes, apart from time, the mass and velocity of the object can also affect the maximum force. A heavier object or an object with a higher velocity will have a greater momentum and therefore a greater maximum force.

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