Finding the CM of a Bar of Variable Density

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around finding the center of mass (CM) of a bar with variable density, defined by a specific density function. The problem involves integrating to determine the mass and the center of mass position based on the given density formula.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to integrate the density function to find the total mass and the center of mass. Some participants question the clarity of the original poster's question and the correctness of the derived formulas.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with some participants confirming the mathematical steps taken by the original poster while others suggest minor simplifications. There is no explicit consensus on the correctness of the approach, but the conversation is focused on verifying the calculations.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the complexity of the solution and seek verification of the results. There is a mention of potential simplifications that could be made to the expressions derived.

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Homework Statement


We are given a bar, with length of d, and it's densitiy is given by this formula: \lambda=\lambda_{0}+2ax, where x is the distance from one side of the bar and a is a constant

Homework Equations


\lambda=\lambda_{0}+2ax
\vec{r}_{CM}=\frac{\sum\vec{r}_{i}\Delta m_{i}}{m}

The Attempt at a Solution


Well, I figured, if I have infinitesimal parts of the bar, I should integrate it.
So, this is what I've come up with so far:

M=\int^{d}_{0}(\lambda_{0}+2ax)dx=\lambda_{0}x+ax^{2}|^{d}_{0}=\lambda_{0}d+ad^{2}

X_{cm}=\frac{1}{M}\int^{d}_{0}(\lambda_{0}x+2ax^{2})dx=\frac{1}{M}(\frac{\lambda_{0}x^{2}}{2}+\frac{2ax^{3}}{3})|^{d}_{0}=\frac{3\lambda_{0}d+4ad^{2}}{6(\lambda_{0}+ad)}
 
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Where is the question? Your formulas look ok.
 
Well, I was not sure of this because the solution looks very awful, and I had no one to verify this.
But if it seems OK to you, I guess it's correct then.
Thanks
 
Well the math works out correctly, although you can pull a 'd' out from the numerator to slightly simplify it a bit more. Unless you misread something, then everything looks correct.
 

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