Mechanics - Elastic springs and strings

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
1 reply · 5K views
mr bob
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
A particle P of mass m is attached to one end of a light elastic string of natural length L whose other end is attached to a point A on a ceiling. When P hangs in equilibrium AP has length [itex]\frac{5l}{3}[/itex]. Show that if P is projected vertically downwards from A with speed [itex]\sqrt(\frac{3gl}{2})[/itex], P will come to instantaneous rest after moving a distance [itex]\frac{10l}{3}[/itex].

I thought about working all this out by finding the energies before and after the projection.

Before:-
[itex]KE =\frac{3gl}{4}[/itex]
[itex]GPE = 0[/itex]
[itex]EPE = 0[/itex]

After:-
[itex]KE = 0[/itex]
[itex]GPE = -(y - 5/3L)g[/itex] where y is the full length of stretched string.
[itex]EPE = \frac{gl(Y- 5/3L)^2}{2L(Y- 5/3L)}[/itex]

i can't seem to get the anwer using these, are they correct?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
This seems like more of a physics related question. I'm sure if you post it in the physics section someone would help you out a little faster. I haven't taken differential equation in awhile, but this seems like a pretty straightforward differential equation question. I could definitely be wrong though