- #1
Rimi
- 5
- 0
Homework Statement
The figure below shows the force exerted on a particle that moves along the x-axis. Draw a graph of the particle's potential energy as a function of position from x=0 to x=1.1 . Let U be zero at x=0.
Homework Equations
F=-dU/dx
The Attempt at a Solution
I decided to divide the force graph into three separate graphs:
From x=0 to x=.5: F(x)= 4x
From x=.5 to x=1: F(x)= -4x + 4
From x=1 to x=1.1: F(x)= 0
I then integrated each equation, and multiplied them by -1, getting U(x)= -2x^2, U(x)= 2x^2 - 2 and U(x)= 0, respectively.
When I try to graph these equations, only the first one and the last one, U(x)= -2x^2 - 2 and U(x)= 0, seem to give me the correct answer. Can someone help me figure out where I went wrong?