Basic momentum and magnitude questions

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SUMMARY

This discussion addresses basic physics problems involving momentum and energy. The first problem involves calculating the distance a student on frictionless skates must be pushed to achieve a kinetic energy of 354 J using a force of 47 N, resulting in a distance of 7.5 meters. The second problem calculates the force required to stop a 4.78 g bullet traveling at 510.8 m/s, yielding approximately 12,650 N. The final part determines the time it takes for the bullet to stop after penetrating a tree trunk, calculated using kinematic equations, resulting in a time of about 8 x 10^-5 seconds.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Familiarity with kinetic energy calculations
  • Knowledge of work-energy principles
  • Ability to solve quadratic equations
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the work-energy theorem in detail
  • Learn how to derive force from kinetic energy and distance
  • Explore kinematic equations for motion under constant acceleration
  • Practice solving quadratic equations in physics contexts
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Students studying physics, educators teaching mechanics, and anyone interested in understanding the principles of momentum and energy in real-world applications.

Ronaldo21
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1. A student wearing frictionless in-line skates on a horizontal surface is pushed by a friend
with a constant force of 47 N. How far must the student be pushed, start-
ing from rest, so that her final kinetic energy is 354 J ?
Answer in units of m.

for this i did 354/2 which i got 177 then i divided by 47 . is that correct?


2 (part 1 of 2) A 4.78 g bullet moving at 510.8 m/s penetrates a tree trunk to a depth of 4.93 cm. a) Use work and energy considerations to find the magnitude of the force that stops the bullet.
Answer in units of N.

for this i did KE=1/2mv^2 and i found the answer and did f=ma. is that right??

3. (part 2 of 2) b) Assuming that the frictional force is constant, determine how much time elapses between the moment the bullet enters the tree and the moment the bullets stops moving.
Answer in units of s.

for this one i just did vf^2=vi^2+2at. is that correct??

THANK YOU!
 
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Ronaldo21 said:
1. A student wearing frictionless in-line skates on a horizontal surface is pushed by a friend
with a constant force of 47 N. How far must the student be pushed, start-
ing from rest, so that her final kinetic energy is 354 J ?
Answer in units of m.

for this i did 354/2 which i got 177 then i divided by 47 . is that correct?


2 (part 1 of 2) A 4.78 g bullet moving at 510.8 m/s penetrates a tree trunk to a depth of 4.93 cm. a) Use work and energy considerations to find the magnitude of the force that stops the bullet.
Answer in units of N.

for this i did KE=1/2mv^2 and i found the answer and did f=ma. is that right??

3. (part 2 of 2) b) Assuming that the frictional force is constant, determine how much time elapses between the moment the bullet enters the tree and the moment the bullets stops moving.
Answer in units of s.

for this one i just did vf^2=vi^2+2at. is that correct??

THANK YOU!

The first part is wrong. You need to use the following formula:

Work = Force * Distance

So it should just be 354/47, giving you 7.5 meters.

I can't tell from what you've written if you're right on part 2 or not, so here's how you do it. You need to set the kinetic energy of the bullet equal to the work done to stop it, which you can relate to force -- the answer you're looking for. Mathematically:

\frac{1}2mv^2 = W = Fd

You know the mass and the velocity of the bullet. You know the distance d it travels inside the trunk. Solve for F and you should get about 12,650 Newtons (but check my work).

For part 3...knowing the force it took to stop the bullet, you can figure out the acceleration from F = ma. Once you know the acceleration, you put it into the following kinematics equation:

x = v_it + \frac{1}2at^2

where t is the time you need to solve for. You know x (distance bullet travels inside tree), you know initial velocity (510.8 m/s), and you know the acceleration that you calculated above. Solve for time t, but you will need the following quadratic equation:

1323106.69t^2 + 510.8t - .0493 = 0

You will get two values: 8 x 10^-5 seconds or -4.66 x 10^-4 seconds. You have to dismiss the second value on physical grounds (can't have negative time). So you should get get about 8 x 10^-5 seconds. Again, check my work, but that answer makes sense intuitively. The bullet should stop really quickly given the enormous force opposing its motion.
 
ohh i see. okay i understand part 1 completely but not part 2.
so i have to find time right? where did you get 1323106.69 from like i got 2646213. hmm. I am confused.lol
 
Ronaldo21 said:
ohh i see. okay i understand part 1 completely but not part 2.
so i have to find time right? where did you get 1323106.69 from like i got 2646213. hmm. I am confused.lol

It's just divided by two to get a simpler constant in front of the t^2.
 

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