Conservative force on XY-Plane

In summary, the conversation involves finding the magnitude of vectors, calculating the angle between them, and understanding the concept of work as the integral of the dot product of force and displacement. The person asking for help is struggling with the problem and is considering giving up.
  • #1
Kevii
4
0

Homework Statement


[PLAIN]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/9080/omgay.jpg

Homework Equations


?


The Attempt at a Solution


?? I'm already lost at where to begin.
 
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  • #2
a) to find the magnitude you take the square root of the sum of the squared components
b) show that the angle between those vectors is 90 ( θ = cos-1 ( A dot B ) / ( |A|*|B| ) )
c) work is equal to the integral of F dot ds
d) what do you think?
 
  • #3
Thanks for the help, but I'm much much much more behind than that. For some reason the setup of this problem confuses me too much. I guess I'll leave it behind; I can't even understand how to find the components
 

1. What is a conservative force?

A conservative force is a type of force that does not depend on the path taken by an object, but only on the starting and ending points. This means that the work done by a conservative force is independent of the path and only depends on the initial and final positions of the object.

2. How is a conservative force represented on the XY-plane?

A conservative force is typically represented as a vector with both magnitude and direction on the XY-plane. The direction of the vector indicates the direction in which the force is acting, and the magnitude represents the strength of the force.

3. What are some common examples of conservative forces?

Some common examples of conservative forces on the XY-plane include gravity, electrostatic forces, and the force of a spring. These forces all have the characteristic that the work done is independent of the path taken by the object.

4. How is work calculated for conservative forces on the XY-plane?

The work done by a conservative force on the XY-plane is calculated using the equation W = - ΔU, where W is the work done, and ΔU is the change in potential energy. This equation shows that the work done is equal to the negative change in potential energy, which is a characteristic of conservative forces.

5. What is the significance of conservative forces on the XY-plane?

Conservative forces play an important role in physics because they conserve mechanical energy. This means that the total energy of a system remains constant, and energy is not lost due to the work done by conservative forces. This principle is vital in understanding and predicting the motion of objects on the XY-plane.

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