Homework Problem about the Work-Energy Theorem

[aquamarine08]

[SOLVED] Homework Problem about the Work-Energy Theorem

Please help! This is my first year of taking physics and I am really confused...

A puck on a shuffleboard decreases in speed from 1.0 m/s to .20 m/s while traveling 4.0 m. What is the coeffecient of kinetic friction between the puck and the board?



I think that the equations we have to use to solve this would be...


w= \frac{1}{2}mV_{1}^{2}-\frac{1}{2}mV_{o}^{2}

w=Fd

F_{f}=\muF_{N}

w = \frac{1}{2}kd^{2}

k= \frac{1}{2}mV^{2}


First : I was thinking about using the equation w= \frac{1}{2}mV_{1}^{2}-\frac{1}{2}mV_{o}^{2} to solve for work, then substitute the work value in for w=Fd then somehow put it in the equation F_{f}=\muF_{N} . Then I got extremely confused...and I realized that I don't have the mass of the puck to put into the first equation.

Second try: So, I decided to use w = \frac{1}{2}kd^{2} but in order to find out the k (spring constant) value, I need to use the equation k= \frac{1}{2}mV^{2}...which again, I don't have the mass for.

Third try...I was going to use the equation F=kd to figure out F and then substitute it in for w in w=Fd and then solve for m in w= \frac{1}{2}mV_{1}^{2}-\frac{1}{2}mV_{o}^{2}
. But I don't have the k again!

And now, I'm out of ideas...please help me...thank you! :) I hope this question makes sense...and my tries...if not, let me know and I'll try to fix them up! Thanks again!

 

[rl.bhat]

Find the retardation of the body by using kinematic equatuon. Retarding force = m*a and normal reaction = mg. Plug it in the equation to get coefficient kinetic friction

 

[photonsquared]

Try this

Force of friction is given by:

F_{f} = \mu N [1]

Solving for \mu we have

\mu = \frac{F_{f}}{N} [2]

The normal force N is given by:

N = mg [3]

Substituting [3] into [2] we have:

\mu = \frac{F_{f}}{mg} [4]

The force of friction is also defined by:

F_{f} = ma [5]

where a is the deceleration and m is the mass of the puck. We also know given a distance and a constant acceleration (or deceleration in this case) that the acceleration is equal to the following (see: http://library.thinkquest.org/10796/ch3/ch3.htm ):

a = \frac{(V_{f}^{2} - V_{i}^{2})}{2d} [6]

Substituting [6] into [5] we have:

F_{f} = \frac{m(V_{f}^{2} - V_{i}^{2})}{2d} [7]

and finally substituting [7] into [4] we have:

\mu = \frac{(V_{f}^{2} - V_{i}^{2})}{2dg}

 

[aquamarine08]

photonsquared, I used your method to solve the problem...it made sense to me and this is the answer that I got \mu_{k}= .0122. Is there anyway you could tell me if this is correct? Thank you very much for your help!

 

[photonsquared]

That is the same value I calculate. The reason you don't need the mass of the puck is because the masses cancel out when you substitute eqn 7 into 4. Hope this helps.

 

[aquamarine08]

Ok thank you very much photonsquared! :) Thanks rl.bhat for your response!