A problem from giamcoli ( it is )

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics problem from Giancoli involving a heavy steel cable passing over a massless, frictionless pulley. The problem requires calculating the acceleration of the cable as a function of the length of cable hanging on one side and subsequently finding the final velocity of the cable as that length changes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the acceleration formula derived from the problem and explore how to relate acceleration to velocity through differentiation and integration. There are questions about handling non-constant terms and the implications of different assumptions regarding the variables involved.

Discussion Status

Participants have shared various approaches to derive the velocity from the acceleration, with some expressing confusion over the integration process and the signs in their equations. There is acknowledgment of differing interpretations of the problem setup, particularly regarding the initial conditions and the treatment of variables.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the importance of initial conditions and the potential for different results based on assumptions made about the cable's motion. There is mention of constraints related to the values of y and L, and how these affect the derived equations.

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a problem from giamcoli ( it is urgent )

i am trying to solve this problem for several days. pls help me. it is from giancoli 3. edith.
a heavy steel cable of length L and mass M passes over a small massless,frictionless pulley. a)if a length y ahngs on one side of the pulley ( so L-y hangs on the other side) calculate the acc of the cable as a fuction of y b)calculate the vf of the cable as a function of y( y is changing)... (the book gives a hint that "use the chain rule and integrate)

i ve found the acc= g*(2*m*y-m*L)/m*L ( i hope it is so )
but how can i find the V... i know a=dv/dt but y,v,t is not constant there and i don't know what i do with 3 non-onstant terms?
 
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Steel Cable Question

[tex]a = g \frac{2y - L}{L}[/tex] (your masses cancel)

I made the substition off 'acc'. Differentiate it with respect to time and then substitute your 'dt'. You'll should get a [tex]\delta t / \delta y[/tex] term in this; but this is [tex]\frac{1}{v}[/tex], so now your integral will calculate [tex]v^2[/tex].
 
thank you very much but;

thanks but i haven't unsdetstood well what you wrote. could u give a bit more explanation?
 
I'm not sure if this is what BerryBoy was saying, but maybe it is what he meant

a = dv/dt = (dv/dy)(dy/dt) = v(dv/dy)

You can use this to separate variables and integrate.
 
i understood

i understood what you say. and i found this answer( i hope it is true);
v=(((2*y*y*g)/L)-2*g*y))^1/2...
thanks berrboy and olderdan.
 
Maybe I made a mistake, but I got the [itex]y^2[/itex] with the minus sign.

[tex]v_{f}^2 = 2gy ( 1 - \frac{y}{L} )[/tex]

Regards,
Sam
 
Last edited:
BerryBoy said:
Maybe I made a mistake, but I got the [itex]y^2[/itex] with the minus sign.

[tex]v_{f}^2 = 2gy ( 1 - \frac{y}{L} )[/tex]

Regards,
Sam
The indefinite integral should have the opposite sign from what you have. Unfortunately, the indefinite integral creates the impression that v^2 is negative when the sign is corrected. That of course cannot be. A constant needs to be added to the indefinite integral to ensure that v^2 is zero at some initial y value (of not less than L/2), where the initial velocity is known (probably zero, but it could start with some velocity.)
 
OlderDan said:
The indefinite integral should have the opposite sign from what you have. Unfortunately, the indefinite integral creates the impression that v^2 is negative when the sign is corrected. That of course cannot be. A constant needs to be added to the indefinite integral to ensure that v^2 is zero at some initial y value (of not less than L/2), where the initial velocity is known (probably zero, but it could start with some velocity.)

But I used a definite integral (from [itex]t_0[/itex] to [itex]t_f[/itex]). I did this because [itex]y(t)[/itex] at these points becomes y and L respectively.
 
OK, realized that in my equation, I've made the assumption:
[tex]y(t_f) = L[/tex]
So it is only valid if the steel cable falls completely to the side of y.

OlderDan: But I still disagree with with your statement on my equation. y/L is always less than 1, if it were the other way around then you would get a complex answer.

I also did this problem again and now decide there is no factor of '2' in the answer.

Best Regards,
Sam
 
  • #10
BerryBoy said:
OK, realized that in my equation, I've made the assumption:
[tex]y(t_f) = L[/tex]
So it is only valid if the steel cable falls completely to the side of y.

OlderDan: But I still disagree with with your statement on my equation. y/L is always less than 1, if it were the other way around then you would get a complex answer.

I also did this problem again and now decide there is no factor of '2' in the answer.

Best Regards,
Sam
OK.. It's not that we are getting different results. We are just using different letters to represent things. The way the problem was stated, and the way the acceleration was expressed in your post #2, y is a variable. In your last result, y is a constant (the initial value of y) and you are finding the velocity only at "the end" when the variable has the value L.

[tex]ma = \frac{m}{L}g\left[ {y - \left( {L - y} \right)} \right] = mg\left( {\frac{{2y - L}}{L}} \right)[/tex]

[tex]a = g\left( {\frac{{2y - L}}{L}} \right)[/tex]

[tex]v\frac{{dv}}{{dy}} = g\left( {\frac{{2y - L}}{L}} \right)[/tex]

[tex]vdv = g\left( {\frac{{2y}}{L} - 1} \right)dy[/tex]

[tex]\frac{{v^2 }}{2} = g\left( {\frac{{y^2 }}{L} - y} \right) + C[/tex]

[tex]C = g\left( {y_o - \frac{{y_o ^2 }}{L}} \right)[/tex] where [itex]v[/itex] is zero at [itex]y_o[/itex]

[tex]v^2 = 2g\left( {\frac{{y^2 }}{L} - y + y_o - \frac{{y_o ^2 }}{L}} \right)[/tex] for any [itex]y[/itex] starting from rest at [itex]y_o[/itex]

[tex]v^2 = 2g\left( {\frac{{y^2 }}{L} - y + \frac{L}{4}} \right)[/tex] if [itex]y_o = \frac{L}{2}[/itex]

[tex]v_L ^2 = 2g\left( {y_o - \frac{{y_o ^2 }}{L}} \right) = 2gy_o \left( {1 - \frac{{y_o }}{L}} \right)[/tex] when [itex]y = L[/itex]

[tex]v_{\max } ^2 = g\frac{L}{2}[/tex] when [itex]y_o = \frac{L}{2}[/itex] and [itex]y = L[/itex]
 
Last edited:
  • #11
OK, I'm happy now. I get the same answer (a different way mind - I never like using indefinite integrals). Sorry to have caused confusion; I should've written [itex]y_0[/itex] when I was referring to the initial overhang. Also sorry that OlderDan had to write all his working, it would've taken me a long time to write all that.

Regards,
Sam
 

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