How does my book get ##\frac{1}{2}## by this derivation?

  • Level: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter n3pix
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Book Derivation
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
3 replies · 1K views
n3pix
Messages
15
Reaction score
1
TL;DR
A question about derivation of the formula of Work.
The integral is called the line integral of ##F## from ##A## to ##B##. The work done in the displacement by the force is defined as,

##W(A\rightarrow B)=\int_A^B \vec{F}.dr##

where the limits ##A## and ##B## stand for the positions ##r_A## and ##r_B##.

We now return to the free particle subject
to forces. We want to generalize ##Eq. (5.6)##, which we here repeat,

##\frac{1}{2}Mv^2-\frac{1}{2}Mv_0^2=\vec{F}.(y-y_0)##

to include applied forces that vary in direction and magnitude but are known as functions of position throughout the region where the motion occurs. By substituting ##\vec{F}=M\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}## into ##Eq. (5.12)##, where ##\vec{F}## is the vector sum of the forces, we find for the work done by these forces,

##W(A\rightarrow B)=M\int_A^B \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.d\vec{r}##

Now

##d\vec{r}=\frac{d\vec{r}}{dt}.dt=\vec{v}dt##

So that

##W(A\rightarrow B)=M\int_A^B (\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.v)dt##

where the limits ##A## and ##B## now stand for the times ##t_A## and ##t_B## when the particle is at the positions designated by ##A## and ##B##. But we can rearrange the integrand,

##\frac{d}{dt}v^2=\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{v}.\vec{v})=2\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v}##

Question 1: In the above equation, how could we gather ##\vec{v}## because one of them is in the derivation (##\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}##) and another one is free (##\vec{v}##) and together they do ##\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{v}.\vec{v})##. Is it legal to do?

so that

##2\int_A^B(\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v})dt=\int_A^B(\frac{d}{dt}v^2)dt=\int_A^Bd(v^2)=(v_B^2-v_A^2)##

Question 2: Here, there were ##2## in the first equation but where is it in the second equation? It's confusing...

On substitution in ##Eq. (5.14)## we have an important result:

##W(A\rightarrow B)=\int_A^B \vec{F}.d\vec{r}=\frac{1}{2}Mv_B^2-\frac{1}{2}Mv_A^2##

for the free particle. This is a generalization of ##Eq. (5.6)##. We recognize,

##K=\frac{1}{2}Mv^2##

Thanks...
 
Physics news on Phys.org
n3pix said:
##\frac{d}{dt}v^2=\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{v}.\vec{v})=2\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v}##

Question 1: In the above equation, how could we gather ##\vec{v}## because one of them is in the derivation (##\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}##) and another one is free (##\vec{v}##) and together they do ##\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{v}.\vec{v})##. Is it legal to do?

In general:

##\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{u}.\vec{v})= \vec u \cdot \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt} + \frac{d\vec{u}}{dt} \cdot \vec{v}##

Hence:

##\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{v}.\vec{v})= 2\vec v \cdot \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}##

n3pix said:
so that

##2\int_A^B(\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v})dt=\int_A^B(\frac{d}{dt}v^2)dt=\int_A^Bd(v^2)=(v_B^2-v_A^2)##

Question 2: Here, there were ##2## in the first equation but where is it in the second equation? It's confusing...

On substitution in ##Eq. (5.14)## we have an important result:

##W(A\rightarrow B)=\int_A^B \vec{F}.d\vec{r}=\frac{1}{2}Mv_B^2-\frac{1}{2}Mv_A^2##

for the free particle. This is a generalization of ##Eq. (5.6)##. We recognize,

##K=\frac{1}{2}Mv^2##

Thanks...

I don't understand your question here. That's a just a straight integration of the above equation.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: vanhees71 and n3pix
PeroK said:
In general:

##\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{u}.\vec{v})= \vec u \cdot \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt} + \frac{d\vec{u}}{dt} \cdot \vec{v}##

Hence:

##\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{v}.\vec{v})= 2\vec v \cdot \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}##
I don't understand your question here. That's a just a straight integration of the above equation.

I mean, in this quote;

n3pix said:
##W(A\rightarrow B)=M\int_B^A (\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v})dt##

where the limits ##A## and ##B## now stand for the times ##t_A## ##t_A## when the particle is at the positions designated by ##A## and ##B##. But we can rearrange the integrand,

##\frac{d}{dt}{\vec{v}}^2=\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{v}.\vec{v})=2\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v}##

In the integral (##W(A\rightarrow B)=M\int_B^A (\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v})dt##) the integrand is ##(\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v})## and it can not be equal to ##(\frac{d}{dt}{\vec{v}}^2)##. But the derivation says that it is equal to this. Check it again please.

In my second question, I mean that

##2\int_A^B(\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v})dt=\int_A^B(\frac{d}{dt}v^2)dt=\int_A^Bd(v^2)=(v_B^2-v_A^2)##

In this integral, first stage has ##2## (##2\int_A^B(\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v})dt##) but in the second stage it doesn't have ##2## (##=\int_A^B(\frac{d}{dt}v^2)dt##) Where the ##2## gone?

And I want to add another question.

In the last equation (##W(A\rightarrow B)=\int_A^B \vec{F}.d\vec{r}=\frac{1}{2}Mv_B^2-\frac{1}{2}Mv_A^2##) Where the ##\frac{1}{2}## came from? I can't see any ##\frac{1}{2}## in the all of the derivation.

Thanks again.
 
n3pix said:
In this integral, first stage has ##2## (##2\int_A^B(\frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}.\vec{v})dt##) but in the second stage it doesn't have ##2## (##=\int_A^B(\frac{d}{dt}v^2)dt##) Where the ##2## gone?

Just look at the previous equation:

##\frac{d}{dt}(\vec{v}.\vec{v})= 2\vec v \cdot \frac{d\vec{v}}{dt}##

That's where the ##2## comes from!

The final ##\frac 1 2## arises simply by dividing both sides of the equation by ##2##.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: vanhees71 and n3pix