Calculating Work Done: 2.2kg Rock Twirled in Perfect Circle at 2.5m/s

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the work done on a 2.2 kg rock being twirled in a circular motion at a speed of 2.5 m/s. The problem specifically asks to consider the tension force exerted by the string while ignoring gravitational forces.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between displacement and work, questioning why the displacement is considered zero in circular motion. There are discussions about the nature of tension force and its direction relative to motion.

Discussion Status

The conversation includes various interpretations of displacement and work, with some participants providing clarifications about the definitions involved. While there is no explicit consensus, several points of view are being examined regarding the relationship between force, displacement, and work.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating the distinction between displacement and distance, as well as the implications of circular motion on work done. The discussion is framed within the constraints of a homework problem, focusing on theoretical understanding rather than practical application.

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A rock mass 2.2 kg is attached to a string of length 1 m is twirled around in a perfect circle as a speed of 2.5m/s. calculate the work done on the mass by the tension force exerted on the rock by the string during one revolution of the rock. Ignore the effect of gravitational forces.

Since displacement is 0, would work be done = 0J?
 
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sounds good to me
 
The tension is perpendicular to the direction of motion - so it should be 0.
 
can anyotne please explain to me why is displacement = 0? if displacement was 0, then there would be no circular motion of the rock right?

thanks
 
Don't confuse displacement with distance. Displacement measures your position relative to some point. If you go around in a circle, ending up where you started, your displacement from your starting point is zero. (But the distance you traveled is the circumference of the circle.)

FYI: The reason why work is zero in this case is that given by futb0l: the force is perpendicular to the velocity.
 
Just think of work as the change in energy. The Rock has the same energy in it anywhere in its circular path, so no work :smile:
 
hmmm awrite got it now... thanks much :)
 
But different force directions...
 

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