Recent content by vtmemo

Okay, here's the deal. We all know the law of independent probability after a broken sequence. For example, if you were to flip a coin 100 times, the first 90 times coming up heads and the last one tails. We all know that each flip is 'independent' of the last flip so long as they are taken...

Approximation, estimation, generalization if you're unsure about your answer, you can do one of two things to check it... A) Solve it backwards using your answer. B) Graph it. It's easy, really... just set X as the time variable and d_y as the y variable, and you should easily be able to...

(forenote, an underscore indicates a subscript) You're familiar with the basic equation of motion relating distance to velocity and time, correct? d = d_o + V_o*t+\frac{1}{2}a*t^2 where d_o = original distance V_o = original velocity a = acceleration (in our case, gravity) t = time...

You could go about it this way: You have two masses, m_1 and m_2, compressing a spring between them. Take it in three different scenarios; 1) m1 >> m2 2) m1 = m2 3) m1 << m2 In scenario 1, mass 1 will remain almost stationary while mass two moves off with significant velocity. In...

supplemental FYI, 300 m/s is a measure of velocity (you meant m/s^2?) Also, your numbers don't quite match up - did you drop an exponent somewhere in your calculations? Atmospheric pressure: 1 atm = 101325 pascals = 101.325 kPa Acceleration: 300 m/s^2 = 30.6 G's ...just to give your...

Hidden factor You may also not be considering the natural elasticity of the human body. http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/safety/images/chest-impact.jpg Take, for example, the ability of the limbs to extend outward (forward) in a collision. Because the torso of a human body makes up for...

Quite a nasty "introductory" problem. This problem required you to make several fairly high-level observations about the situation; as an engineer, it took me a fair amount of effort to prove the assumptions I made. The attached PDF shows all work, derivations, and assumptions used to reach...