I need a comprehensive answer,

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a theoretical scenario involving a proton and an electron positioned 1 meter apart, with a force exerted by the medium dependent on the velocity of the particles. Participants are exploring how long it will take for the particles to collide and the energy emitted during this event.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the forces acting on the particles, including the electrostatic force and a drag force from the medium. There are attempts to set up differential equations to describe the motion of the particles, with some questioning how to relate distance and velocity over time.

Discussion Status

The conversation includes various approaches to simplifying the problem, such as eliminating the medium or considering one particle's motion. Some participants express confusion over the complexity of the equations and the implications of relativistic effects. There is no clear consensus, but several productive lines of inquiry are being explored.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the absence of gravitational effects and the challenge of integrating the equations of motion as the distance approaches zero. The discussion also touches on the limitations of their current understanding of differential equations and the potential need for numerical methods to approximate solutions.

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I need a comprehensive answer, please help !

I need a comprehensive answer,please help !
I made up this question, but I can not solve it. This bothers me so much. Please try it and explain it to me.

Here it is
--------------
Conditions: 1 proton, 1 electron, 1 meter away from each other.
The medium exerts a force F(Newton)=square root of the velocity of the object(meter/second)
Gravity is negligible
---------------
Question: How long will it take for them to crash? How much energy will be emitted from the collision?
---------------


All answers will be appreciated.
Thanks again.
 
Last edited:
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Anyone ? Please help
 
mass times acceleration equals force. You should be able to calculate the total force- it is the force due to their charge minus the friction force which you are given. That gives you a differential equation for the motion of each of the particles- be sure to include the different masses of the particles.
 
That's the way I approached the problem, but then I got convoluted with the variables. It's so confusing.
Please be more specific !
 
Thank you.
 
Please, anyone? This isn't homework or anything, so if you think you have the answer, just show it !
Thanks.
 
man, that DE is going to be a nightmare!

can you show us what you have?
 
Sum of force on the electron= kQ1*Q2/(r(t))^2 - (v(t))^(1/2)
m*v'(t)=kQ1*Q2/(r(t))^2-(v(t))^(1/2)

But then how will I connect r(t) and v(t) ?

I got stuck here.
 
Let's just eliminate the medium, will the problem be easier ?
 
  • #10
twits said:
Sum of force on the electron= kQ1*Q2/(r(t))^2 - (v(t))^(1/2)
m*v'(t)=kQ1*Q2/(r(t))^2-(v(t))^(1/2)

But then how will I connect r(t) and v(t) ?

I got stuck here.

v(t) = dr(t)/dt

yeah, and taking away that drag force will make things easier, i bet.
 
  • #11
Brad Barker said:
v(t) = dr(t)/dt

yeah, and taking away that drag force will make things easier, i bet.

actually, dr/dt is going to be more difficult than this, since both charges are accelerating towards each but at different rates.

tough!
 
  • #12
for twits: do you mean the medium create decelerating force? opposite to the velocity?
 
  • #13
either way is ok. Let's just say it's the opposing force .
 
  • #14
Question: Can we use the known charges, masses of the particles to indicate how far each will go, then just do the problem for 1 particle?
 
  • #15
Can anyone describe how the velocities of the particles will change during their movements(with the dragging force in this case) ?
 
  • #16
I tried to solve the problem with work done by the field (dW = F dr), but I got infinites.
I think the problem cannot be solved if the distance goes to 0 (well, not with dW = F dr), it can only go somewhere quite close to it (before the particles collide). I suppose there either are some formulas I'm unaware of or I had the wrong approach. The latter is quite likely :).

I did not take relativistic effects into account in my calculations. Those would require some knowledge in general relativity (which I lack) as the particles are accelerating, I suppose.
 
  • #17
sounds very complicated from here :smile:
 
  • #18
If you eliminate the medium, considering the two particle system the e force is internal force and so conservation of momentum and conservation of energy will give the velocities of the two particles as a function of distance r between them, their approach velocity is the sum of magnitude of these two velocity.
 
  • #19
I simplified the problem a bit: No resistance by medium, proton glued (ie. not moving).
With dW = F dr I got the velocity of the electron:
v_e = \sqrt{ \frac{-2kq^2(\frac{1}{x}-1)}{m_e} }, where x is the "end distance" from the proton. Is this correct?
When x -> 0, the velocity goes infinite (and when x = 1, v = 0, sounds reasonable). I suppose the time will still be finite, though.

as v = \frac{dx}{dt}, and the v in my equation is dependent on x (v(x), instead of time v(t)) can the time be solved: \int dt = \sqrt{ \frac{m_e}{-2kq^2}} \int \frac{dx}{\sqrt{\frac{1}{x}-1}} ?
Well, I can't solve the integral. I'm not too familiar with differential equations anyway.

I do hope I didn't make a fool out of myself, but I'm afraid I did it all totally and utterly wrong :).



EDIT: I put my calculator to solve the integral (the simplified problem) with numerical approximation. I got 0,0693 seconds as the answer.
Sounds logical, as if the force was constantly F = k \frac{q^2}{1^2} = kq^2 (so r = 1), the trip'd take 0,0888 seconds (provided I typed all the numbers correctly into my calculator).
 
Last edited:
  • #20
The integral is correct. If the proton is not glued then we have to take approach velocity
of the two particles resulting in a factor sqrt[M/(m+M)]
m = mass of electran and M = mass of Proton
 

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