Finding Work Done, Acceleration, Force and Time

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics problem involving an object with a mass of 2kg that is accelerated from 15m/s to 25m/s. Participants are tasked with calculating the work done during this acceleration, the force required to produce it, and the time taken for the acceleration over a distance of 8m.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the calculations for work done, force, and time, with some questioning the validity of the results. There are discussions about the definitions of work and impulse, and how they relate to the problem.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered guidance on checking calculations using different approaches, such as the impulse-momentum theorem. There is an ongoing exploration of interpretations related to the definitions of work and force, with no explicit consensus reached.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the values obtained in their calculations, particularly regarding the time taken for acceleration and the force calculated. There is mention of the need for clarity in interpreting the problem statement.

FaraDazed
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Homework Statement


An object with a mass of 2kg gets accelerated from 15m/s to 25m/s.

A: What is the work done in effecting this velocity change?
B: The distance moved was 8m, what force produced the acceleration?
C: How long did it take to produce the acceleration (presumed uniform)?

Homework Equations


Equations of Motion

The Attempt at a Solution


Part A:
<br /> W=\frac{1}{2}m(v^2 - u^2) \\<br /> W=\frac{1}{2}2(25^2 - 15^2) \\<br /> W= 25^2 - 15^2 = 400J<br />

Part B:
<br /> v^2=u^2+2as \\<br /> ∴ a = \frac{v^2 - u^2}{2s} \\<br /> F=ma \\<br /> F=2 \times \frac{25^2 - 15^2}{2 \times 8} \\<br /> F=2 \times \frac{400}{16} \\<br /> F=2 \times 25 = 50N<br />

Part C
<br /> v=u+at \\<br /> ∴ t = \frac{v-u}{a} \\<br /> t= \frac{25-15}{25} = 0.4s<br />

My biggest problem is the values, they just don't seem right to me, 0.4s to accelerate a 2kg mass from 15 to 25m/s using 50N over 8m?

Any help appreciated :).
 
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look at the definition of work, for part b.
 
For part (c), you can use the impulse-momentum theorem to check your answer
 
Clever_name said:
look at the definition of work, for part b.

I keep reading it but can't seem to find another way of interpreting it. Surely it means what force produced the acceleration (which is 25m/s^2 from my calculations) and then that comes out to be 50N right?

Any little hint at just interpreting it would be appreciated :) .
 
ap123 said:
For part (c), you can use the impulse-momentum theorem to check your answer

Are right, is that that the impulse is equal to the change in momentum?

that would be then
<br /> I=Ft \\<br /> I=50 \times 0.4 = 20Ns \\<br /> <br /> Δp=mv-mu \\<br /> Δp=2 \times 25 - 2 \times 15 = 50-30 = 20Ns<br />

Does that mean it is correct?
 
FaraDazed said:
Are right, is that that the impulse is equal to the change in momentum?

that would be then
<br /> I=Ft \\<br /> I=50 \times 0.4 = 20Ns \\<br /> <br /> Δp=mv-mu \\<br /> Δp=2 \times 25 - 2 \times 15 = 50-30 = 20Ns<br />

Does that mean it is correct?

It looks right :)
It's always useful if you can find another way of doing a problem to check your answers.

For part (b) you can do a similar answer check by using the definition of work (as mentioned by Clever_name).
 
ap123 said:
For part (b) you can do a similar answer check by using the definition of work (as mentioned by Clever_name).

Ah right, I see now! force times distance, I thought clever_name meant for me to double check what the question was asking lol.
 

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