Maximum Projectile Speed for Safe Hanging: 20kg Wood Ball and 2m Long Wire

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a 20kg wood ball hanging from a 2.0m long wire, with a maximum tension limit of 400N. A 1.0 kg projectile collides with the ball, and the discussion centers on determining the maximum speed of the projectile that will not exceed the tension limit of the wire.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss using conservation of momentum and centripetal force to analyze the problem. There are questions about the application of these concepts and how they relate to the tension in the wire.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided guidance on using specific physics principles, while others express confusion about the application of these ideas. There is a mix of understanding and uncertainty among the contributors.

Contextual Notes

The original poster expresses frustration after spending significant time on the problem, indicating a potential lack of clarity in the problem setup or the physics concepts involved. There is also a mention of a successful realization by one participant, though the details of this are not shared.

darkdryad
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Look I really need someone's help, I spent over 3 hours on this problem and can't figure it out. If anyone could tell me what to do (try being specific), I'd appreciate.

A 20kg wood ball hangs from a 2.0m longwire. The maximum tension the wire can withstand without breaking is 400N. A 1.0 kg projectile traveling horizontally hits and embeds itself in the wood ball. What is the largest speed this projectile can have without causing the cable to break?

Please anyone, I really need to get this.
 
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Use conservation of momentum to determine what speed the ball will have when it is struck by the projectile. Use the equation for centripetal force to determine the tension in the wire. You should be able to go from there.
 
Actually, I really can't figure it out, I read what you said, but nothing adds up.
 
I got it, OMG I got it, thank you sooooo much. God why didn't i think of that. Thx very much.
 

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