Calculating Displacement for a 2-D System

In summary, the problem requires finding the center of mass of a system consisting of a 0.15 kg olive and a 0.46 kg Brazil nut at the origin and (0.72, 2.8) m respectively. At t = 0, a force of (1 + 1) N begins to act on the olive and a force of (-2 -4) N begins to act on the nut. The task is to find the (a)x and (b)y displacement of the center of mass of the system at t = 3.1 s. The problem can be broken down into three parts: determining the initial center of mass, calculating the movement of the olive and nut given the forces and time
  • #1
shell4987
43
0
A big olive (m = 0.15 kg) lies at the origin of an xy coordinate system, and a big Brazil nut (M = 0.46 kg) lies at the point (0.72, 2.8) m. At t = 0, a force o = (1 + 1) N begins to act on the olive, and a force n = (-2 -4) N begins to act on the nut. What is the (a)x and (b)y displacement of the center of mass of the olive-nut system at t = 3.1 s, with respect to its position at t = 0?


The Attempt at a Solution



Im not too sure about going about solving this problem can anyone give me a head start?
 
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  • #2
Break the problem into three parts:
1) Initial conditions
Find the center of mass of the olive-nut system.
Because this is a 2-d problem, apply the center of mass equation for each direction: x direction, and y direction.

2) Movement
Find out where the olive and nut moved to given the force on each and the time.

3) Final position
Find the final center of mass after they've moved.

Let me know if you need more details after you try it.
 
  • #3
Anadyne said:
Break the problem into three parts:
1) Initial conditions
Find the center of mass of the olive-nut system.
Because this is a 2-d problem, apply the center of mass equation for each direction: x direction, and y direction.

2) Movement
Find out where the olive and nut moved to given the force on each and the time.

3) Final position
Find the final center of mass after they've moved.

Let me know if you need more details after you try it.

Okay, I found the xcom to be 0.108 and the ycom to be 1.288, but I don't know how to do part 2 because what equation do I use that involves force and time?
 

1. What is displacement?

Displacement is a measure of an object's change in position from its initial point to its final point. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

2. How is displacement different from distance?

Distance is a measure of how far an object has traveled, while displacement takes into account the object's final position relative to its initial position. Distance is a scalar quantity, meaning it only has magnitude.

3. How is displacement represented?

Displacement is typically represented by the symbol Δx (delta x), which stands for the change in position of an object. It can also be represented by the vector symbol →d, with the arrow pointing in the direction of displacement.

4. What is the unit of measurement for displacement?

The SI unit for displacement is meters (m). However, it can also be measured in other units such as kilometers, centimeters, or even inches, depending on the scale of the object being measured.

5. How is displacement calculated?

Displacement can be calculated by subtracting the initial position from the final position, taking into account the direction of motion. For example, if an object moves 10 meters to the east from its initial position of 5 meters, its displacement would be 5 meters to the east (10m - 5m = 5m).

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