Initial acceleration of the charge

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves three identical charged balls arranged in a triangle, with one strand breaking, and seeks to determine the initial acceleration of the middle ball. The context is rooted in classical mechanics, specifically Newton's laws and constraints related to motion and forces.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of constraint equations to eliminate unknown tension forces and explore how to derive additional equations concerning accelerations. There are attempts to differentiate the constraint equations to relate velocities and accelerations.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants sharing their attempts to manipulate the equations and clarify relationships between the variables. Some guidance has been offered regarding the differentiation of constraint equations, but there is no explicit consensus on the next steps or a clear path to a solution.

Contextual Notes

Initial conditions are noted, with all velocities set to zero, which may simplify the analysis. The constraints and assumptions regarding the system's setup are under examination, but no definitive conclusions have been reached.

sergiokapone
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Homework Statement


Three identical charged balls of mass m and charge q bound in a triangle thread length l. One of the strands break. Calculate the acceleration of the middle ball at the initial moment.

2. Relevant equation

a. Newton's laws

##m\vec a_1 = \vec F_{12} +\vec F_{13} + \vec T_{13}##
##m\vec a_2 = \vec F_{21} +\vec F_{23} + \vec T_{23}##
##m\vec a_3 = \vec F_{31} +\vec F_{32} + \vec T_{31} + \vec T_{32}##b. Constraint Equations

##(\vec r_1 -\vec r_2)^2 = (\vec r_1 -\vec r_3)^2 = const##

c. May be relations between ##\vec r##-vectors in CM-system
##\vec r_1 +\vec r_2+\vec r_3=0 ##

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The Attempt at a Solution


The unknown T-forces should to be exluded using Constraint Equations, but what to do with it, I have no idea.
 
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How could you obtain another equation concerning accelerations from you constraint equations (b)?
I believe your equation (c) should be deducible from the other equations.
 
haruspex said:
How could you obtain another equation concerning accelerations from you constraint equations (b)?
I believe your equation (c) should be deducible from the other equations.
Yes (c) is the cosequence of the Newton's laws.
I don't know answers. Now I have no idea, how to start to solve this problem.
 
From the (b), I can obtain
First differentiating:
##(\vec r_1 - \vec r_3)(\vec v_1 - \vec v_3)=0##
From the second differentiating:
##(\vec v_1-\vec v_3)^2 + (\vec r_1 - \vec r_3)(\vec a_1 - \vec a_3)=0##

And for the second constraint
##(\vec v_2-\vec v_3)^2 + (\vec r_2- \vec r_3)(\vec a_2 - \vec a_3)=0##
 
Last edited:
sergiokapone said:
From the (b), I can obtain
First differentiating:
##(\vec r_1 - \vec r_2)(\vec v_1 - \vec v_2)=0##
From the second differentiating:
##(\vec v_1-\vec v_2)^2 + (\vec r_1 - \vec r_2)(\vec a_1 - \vec a_2)=0##
Right. But we are only interested in the initial acceleration. What simplification does that provide?
 
For the initial conditions:
##\vec v_1= \vec v_2 = \vec v_3=0##.
Then
##(\vec r_1 - \vec r_3)(\vec a_1 - \vec a_3)=0##

And
##(\vec r_2 - \vec r_3)(\vec a_2 - \vec a_3)=0##
 
Last edited:

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