Integrating $\frac{dv}{dt}=g-kv^2$ from $v=0$ to $v_t$

  • Thread starter Locrian
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In summary, the conversation discusses integrating from a known constant v=0 to a known constant v=v_t and from t=0 to a variable t=t_f. The solution involves the hyperbolic tangent and its inverse, the Artanh function. The conversation also mentions a mistake in the equation and provides the correct solution.
  • #1
Locrian
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I'm missing something simple here:

[tex]\frac{d\mbox{v}}{d\mbox{t}} = g - k\mbox{v}^2[/tex]

I'm integrating from v=0 to v=v_t (where v_t is a known constant independant of velocity and time) and from t=0 to t=t_f, where t_f is the variable I wish to solve for in the end.

I'd rather not embarass myself by giving out the answer I produced. The actual answer has a hyperbolic tangent and I honestly am not sure how to get that. Could someone nudge me in the right direction?
 
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  • #2
The inverse of the hyperbolic tangent, the Artanh function is given by:
[tex]Artanh(x)=log(\frac{1+x}{1-x})[/tex]
 
  • #3
You can separate the variables and integrate:

[tex]\int_{0}^{v(t
)}\frac{dv}{g-kv^2}=\int_0^t t'dt'[/tex]
 
  • #4
Aha! And the derivative of that is:

[tex]\frac{1}{1-x^2}[/tex] Which should take care of the problem. If only it had seemed more obvious before I had to ask! Thank you for your time arildno.
 
  • #5
Thank you too for helping Galileo. I'm afraid this seems rather obvious in retrospect, which I thought it might be.

Have a good friday.
 
  • #6
I'm sorry, I made a mistake:
We should have:
[tex]Artanh(x)=\frac{1}{2}log(\frac{1+x}{1-x})[/tex]
This can be seen by solving for "y" from the following equation:
[tex]x=Tanh(y)\equiv\frac{e^{y}-e^{-y}}{e^{y}+e^{-y}}[/tex]
 
Last edited:

What does the equation $\frac{dv}{dt}=g-kv^2$ represent?

The equation represents the motion of an object with respect to time, taking into account the acceleration due to gravity and a drag force that is proportional to the square of the object's velocity.

What is the significance of integrating this equation?

Integrating the equation allows us to calculate the total change in velocity of the object over a given time interval, which can help us understand the object's overall motion.

Why is the initial velocity set to 0 when integrating from v=0 to vt?

Setting the initial velocity to 0 simplifies the integration process and allows us to focus on the effects of acceleration and drag on the object's motion.

How does the value of k affect the overall motion of the object?

The value of k represents the strength of the drag force, with larger values indicating a stronger drag force. Therefore, a higher k value will result in a slower overall motion of the object.

What is the physical interpretation of the solution obtained from integrating this equation?

The solution represents the final velocity of the object at a given time t, taking into account the effects of gravity and drag. It can also be used to determine the position of the object at a given time, assuming the initial position was known.

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