Can someone check my answer to a rotational problem?

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The discussion centers on a rotational dynamics problem involving a stick of length L and mass M, and a point mass m colliding with it. The participants derive the final angular velocity (ω_f) using the conservation of angular momentum, leading to the equation ω_f = (m_p * v_i * b) / (m * L^2/12 + m_p * b^2). They clarify that the center of mass velocity after the collision can be calculated using linear momentum, resulting in v_f = (m_p * v_i) / (m_p + m_s). The importance of distinguishing between the velocities of the stick and the point mass is emphasized throughout the discussion.

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  • #31
haruspex said:
Good, except for the v2 on the left.
Fix that, then use the above to determine v_{fs}.
uhhh, that gets really messy cause there's a quadratic doesn't it?
anyway, after I find v_{fs} ... I find v_{fp} using the vfs + wb formula right?

also, my friend did the priblem this way:

L_i = L_f
m_pv_{pi}b = i\omega
m_pv_{pi}b = (\frac{m_sL^2}{12} + m_pb^2) w_f because the angular velocity are the same for both masses right?

isnt this method much easier?
 
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  • #32
toesockshoe said:
that gets really messy cause there's a quadratic doesn't it?
But it shouldn't be quadratic. I said that was an error in your equation:
haruspex said:
Good, except for the v2 on the left.
Correct that equation and try again.
toesockshoe said:
isnt this method much easier?
Oh yes, that's much easier. Unfortunately it's wrong. It's the same error you made in your initial post on this thread.
 
  • #33
haruspex said:
Oh yes, that's much easier. Unfortunately it's wrong. It's the same error you made in your initial post on this thread.

you can't do it because the point is not rotating on its around its own mass center right?

haruspex said:
it shouldn't be quadratic. I said that was an error in your equation.

I did try solving it after I fixed it... I got m_p v_{pi}^2 = m_p(v_{fs}+\omega b)^2 + m_sv_{fs}^2... and that gets messy because you need to square the v_{fs} + wb and that makes it difficult to factor out v_{fs} becasue there is two v_fs terms to the 2nd power and one v_fs term to the first power. where am i going wrong?
 
  • #34
toesockshoe said:
you can't do it because the point is not rotating on its around its own mass center right?
Not exactly. It's wrong because the particle's angular momentum about the point in space where the mass centre of the stick had been is not just ##m_pb^2\omega_f##. There is also the ##m_pv_{fs}b## term. Look at your relative velocity equation.
toesockshoe said:
I did try solving it after I fixed it... I got m_p v_{pi}^2 = m_p(v_{fs}+\omega b)^2 + m_sv_{fs}^2
I'll try once more... IT SHOULD NOT BE QUADRATIC! You appear to be adding up energies, not angular momenta.
 
  • #35
haruspex said:
Not exactly. It's wrong because the particle's angular momentum about the point in space where the mass centre of the stick had been is not just ##m_pb^2\omega_f##. There is also the ##m_pv_{fs}b## term. Look at your relative velocity equation.

I'll try once more... IT SHOULD NOT BE QUADRATIC! You appear to be adding up energies, not angular momenta.
OHH STUPID ME. yes sorry. i added up energies.
 
  • #36
haruspex said:
Not exactly. It's wrong because the particle's angular momentum about the point in space where the mass centre of the stick had been is not just ##m_pb^2\omega_f##. There is also the ##m_pv_{fs}b## term. Look at your relative velocity equation.

I'll try once more... IT SHOULD NOT BE QUADRATIC! You appear to be adding up energies, not angular momenta.
ok so v_{fs} = \frac { m_pv_{fs}- m_p\omega b}{m_p + m_s}
 
  • #37
haruspex said:
Not exactly. It's wrong because the particle's angular momentum about the point in space where the mass centre of the stick had been is not just ##m_pb^2\omega_f##. There is also the ##m_pv_{fs}b## term. Look at your relative velocity equation.

I'll try once more... IT SHOULD NOT BE QUADRATIC! You appear to be adding up energies, not angular momenta.
ok, so let's say that the mass hit the stick at an angle... thus sending the stick in a somewhat diagonal direction. in this case, you would need to add the L=r x p to the stick as well right? (in addition to doing hte similar thing to the point mass_
 
  • #38
toesockshoe said:
ok so v_{fs} = \frac { m_pv_{fs}- m_p\omega b}{m_p + m_s}
Not quite. The ##v_{fs}## on the right-hand side should be a different variable.
toesockshoe said:
lets say that the mass hit the stick at an angle... thus sending the stick in a somewhat diagonal direction. in this case, you would need to add the L=r x p to the stick as well right? (in addition to doing hte similar thing to the point mass
Your question is not precise enough for me to answer.
As I say, there are several approaches that work - the trick is to use one consistently and not count any momentum contributions twice over or not at all.
If you care to post the algebra for such an oblique impact I'm happy to check it.
 
  • #39
haruspex said:
Not quite. The ##v_{fs}## on the right-hand side should be a different variable.
v_{fs} = \frac { m_pv_{pi}- m_p\omega b}{m_p + m_s}

haruspex said:
Not quite. The ##v_{fs}## on the right-hand side should be a different variable.
Your question is not precise enough for me to answer.
As I say, there are several approaches that work - the trick is to use one consistently and not count any momentum contributions twice over or not at all.
If you care to post the algebra for such an oblique impact I'm happy to check it.
sorry i copied it wrong to latex... this is what i have:

Disregard me other question... basically we did r x p on the mass and v happened to be v_stick + wb... would you say that in problems where there is translational speed its a good idea to always use r x p for a point mass?
 
  • #40
haruspex said:
Not quite. The ##v_{fs}## on the right-hand side should be a different variable.

Your question is not precise enough for me to answer.
As I say, there are several approaches that work - the trick is to use one consistently and not count any momentum contributions twice over or not at all.
If you care to post the algebra for such an oblique impact I'm happy to check it.
also can you explain to me how to find that v_{pf} = v_{sf} + \omega b ? to be i just used it cause it made sense conceptually, but how would you show your work to get that naswer?
 
  • #41
toesockshoe said:
... basically we did r x p on the mass and v happened to be v_stick + wb... would you say that in problems where there is translational speed its a good idea to always use r x p for a point mass?
Yes.
toesockshoe said:
also can you explain to me how to find that v_{pf} = v_{sf} + \omega b ? to be i just used it cause it made sense conceptually, but how would you show your work to get that naswer?
It's just relative velocity. This only applies here at the instant after collision, note. In the direction of the particle's original motion, the stick gets a velocity ##v_{fs}##, and the particle's velocity relative to that is ##\omega b##, in the same direction, so the two add to give the particle's total velocity. Later, of course, as the stick rotates, the relative velocity will be in a different direction from the system's mass centre, but we don't need to worry about that.
 

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