Displacement and Acceleration

In summary: I'm sorry I can't be of more help. Good luck.In summary, the problem states that a 0.20 kg object moves along a straight line, with a net force acting on it that varies with its displacement. The object starts from rest at displacement X = 0 and time t = 0, and is displaced a distance of 20 m. However, there is not enough information given to determine the acceleration, time taken for displacement, work done by the net force, speed at specific displacements, or change in momentum. The equations provided by the person seeking help are not applicable since the acceleration is not constant. More information is needed in order to solve this problem.
  • #1
Raynor.Jim
4
0
A 0.20 kg object moves along a striaght line. The net force acting on the object varies with the object's displacement. The object starts from rest at displacement X = 0 and time t = 0 and is displaced a distance of 20 m. Determine each of the following.

A. The acceleration of the particle when its displacement x is 6 m

B. The time taken for the object to be displaced the first 12 m

C. The amount of work done by the net force in displacing the object the first 12 m

D. The speed of the object at displacement X = 12 m

E. The final speed of the object at displacement X = 20 m

F. The change in the moentum of the object as it is displaced from x = 12 m to x = 10 m

these equations are the ones I THINK are with the problem VF = Vo + at Vf2 = vo2 + 2ad (Final Velocity squared = Initial Velocity squared + 2 x acceleration x distance) D = Vot + 1/2 at2 ( Initial Velocity x Time + 1/2 x acceleration x time squared)



Im not really sure where to start with this as I have not really been explained very well what displacement and net force is.

Any help is appreciated.
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF.

Displacement is simply the position of the object. It starts "at 0", and ends up 20 meters away from the starting point.

But this problem, as written, appears to be unsolvable. There is not enough information given to answer these questions.

Finally, those equations you wrote will not apply, since they work when the acceleration has a constant value. However, the problem statement says the net force (and hence acceleration) is not constant, but varies with position.

Something is definitely missing here. Is the problem statement copied exactly as it was written?
 
  • #3
Yes that is everything.
 
  • #4
That is weird. In a problem like this, I would expect more information, such as the time (t=?) when the displacement has reached 20 m. Also, more information about the force, like whether it varies proportionally with displacement, or in some other fashion, or perhaps that it is in fact constant.

As it is, there really is no way of solving this.
 

1. What is displacement?

Displacement refers to the distance and direction of an object's change in position from its starting point. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude (size) and direction.

2. How is displacement different from distance?

Displacement is a vector quantity that takes into account the direction of an object's movement, while distance is a scalar quantity that only considers the magnitude of the movement. For example, if a car travels 10 miles north and then 10 miles south, its displacement is 0 miles (since it ended up in the same position), but its distance traveled is 20 miles.

3. What is acceleration?

Acceleration is the rate at which an object's velocity changes. It is a vector quantity that takes into account both the magnitude and direction of the change in velocity. Acceleration can be caused by a change in speed, direction, or both.

4. How is acceleration related to displacement?

Acceleration is related to displacement through the equation a = Δv / Δt, where a is acceleration, Δv is the change in velocity, and Δt is the change in time. This means that the greater the change in velocity (or the steeper the slope of the displacement-time graph), the greater the acceleration.

5. What is the difference between average and instantaneous acceleration?

Average acceleration is the change in velocity over a certain period of time, while instantaneous acceleration is the acceleration at a specific moment in time. Average acceleration can be found by dividing the total change in velocity by the total change in time, while instantaneous acceleration can be found by taking the derivative of the velocity-time graph at a specific point.

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