Calculating Force to Pull Copper Ball Upward

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Homework Help Overview

The original poster attempts to calculate the force required to pull a copper ball upward through a fluid at a constant speed, considering drag force proportional to speed and ignoring buoyant force. The problem involves concepts from fluid dynamics and mechanics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the resistive force calculation and the setup of the force equation. Questions arise regarding the weight of the ball and the units of the proportionality constant.

Discussion Status

Some participants provide guidance on determining the mass of the ball from its radius and clarify the units of the proportionality constant. Multiple interpretations of the problem are being explored, particularly regarding the missing mass information.

Contextual Notes

The problem does not provide the mass of the copper ball, which is necessary for calculating the weight. There is also a note about the unit of the proportionality constant being potentially misleading.

anneseanandy
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I need to calculate the force required to pull a copper ball radius 2.00cm upward through a fluid at the constant speed 9.00cm/s. The drag forse is to be proportional to the speed, with proportionality constant .950kg/s. Ignore any boyant force.

What I did so far was figure out the resistive force using the equation: R=-bv, where b= .950kg/s and v= .09m/s
So that gives me -.0855Newtons.

My equation set up so far is:
SumYForces = mg+ Resitive force= Pull Force
and then from there I have no clue, the answer in the back of the book is 3.01 N, but I just can't seem to get it. Thanks -anne
 
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How about the weight of the ball?

PS: the unit of that proportionality constant is not kg/s. It must be N-s/m so that when you multiply it by m/s you end up with N.
 
Last edited:
the weird thing is they give no mass, and that's what they give as the proportional constant.
 
You are given the radius of the ball. From that, with a little effort, you can find the mass (and then the weight).

As to the unit of the constant, you're right. Sorry, I guess I was too tired last night. (1kg/s)*(1m/s)=1(kg-m/s^2)=1N
 

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