Calculating the Trajectory of Attracting Pucks Moving at Constant Velocity

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around simulating the trajectory of pucks on an air-hockey-like table that attract each other while maintaining a constant speed. The key challenge is calculating their paths given the constraint of a fixed velocity. Participants emphasize the importance of defining speed as a parameter in the simulation to ensure consistent movement. There is also a note that the described scenario is non-physical, raising questions about its feasibility. The focus remains on developing a program that accurately models this hypothetical situation.
spod
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
This is all hypothetical.

Say that I build a machine something like an air-hockey table with pucks that move on it.

Each puck has a magnet in it such that the pucks attract each other

Now imagine that the puck can only go at one speed. no faster and no slower.

If two pucks attract each other how can I calculate the path they would take ensuring that they always move only at a speed of X metres per second.

I'm trying to write a program to simulate it.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Welcome to PF;
Note: speed and velocity are different things.

You will have to set the speed as a parameter in the program so that it is always the same - i.e. so that it's change of position in a standard time interval always has the same magnitude.
I'm not clear on what you are asking for: you reaise the situation you described is non-physical right?
 
Last edited:
Hi there, im studying nanoscience at the university in Basel. Today I looked at the topic of intertial and non-inertial reference frames and the existence of fictitious forces. I understand that you call forces real in physics if they appear in interplay. Meaning that a force is real when there is the "actio" partner to the "reactio" partner. If this condition is not satisfied the force is not real. I also understand that if you specifically look at non-inertial reference frames you can...
I have recently been really interested in the derivation of Hamiltons Principle. On my research I found that with the term ##m \cdot \frac{d}{dt} (\frac{dr}{dt} \cdot \delta r) = 0## (1) one may derivate ##\delta \int (T - V) dt = 0## (2). The derivation itself I understood quiet good, but what I don't understand is where the equation (1) came from, because in my research it was just given and not derived from anywhere. Does anybody know where (1) comes from or why from it the...
Back
Top