Motion of an open garage door as it closes

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the motion of an open garage door as it closes, specifically focusing on the relationship between linear and angular velocities of the door panels at the moment they stop moving. Participants draw analogies to kinematics problems, particularly comparing the door's motion to that of a ball thrown from a height.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the discrepancies between linear and angular velocities of the door panels when they stop moving. Questions arise regarding the reasoning behind the panels having nonzero angular velocities while having no linear velocities. Analogies to the motion of a ball are discussed, particularly in terms of final velocities upon impact.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants questioning the assumptions made about the motion of the panels and the application of kinematic principles. Some guidance has been offered regarding the mechanics of rotation and stopping mechanisms, but no consensus has been reached on the interpretations of the motion involved.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference a related example problem from a textbook, which influences their understanding of the motion limits of the panels. There is also mention of a "stopping mechanism" that affects the behavior of the door and its panels.

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Homework Statement
Explain the relationship between the angular and linear velocities of the panel when the door is fully open, that is, when point E strikes the floor.
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If an analogy is drawn to kinematics problems in which for example a ball is thrown from a height h, when it strikes the floor it has a final velocity although it stops moving instantaneously. But in this problem, the points B and D have no linear velocity when E strikes the floor. Their final angular velocities, on the other hand, are equal and nonzero. I don't understand the reason for this discrepancy. At the instant both panels stop moving linearly they should also have no angular velocity. Also, using the analogy of the ball, if an object thrown from a height h has a final linear velocity although it too stops moving in an instant I don't see how the motion of the panels differs in this respect, since they too have a final linear and angular velocity, both of which should instantaneously become zero.
 
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Andrew1234 said:
Explain the relationship between the angular and linear velocities of the panel when the door is fully open, that is, when point E strikes the floor.
As the door reaches fully open, point E will strike point A.
Do you mean, fully closed?
Andrew1234 said:
the points B and D have no linear velocity when E strikes the floor. Their final angular velocities, on the other hand, are equal and nonzero. I don't understand the reason for this discrepancy.
Why is that a discrepancy? Each panel will be rotating about its own centre.
Andrew1234 said:
if an object thrown from a height h has a final linear velocity although it too stops moving in an instant I don't see how the motion of the panels differs in this respect, since they too have a final linear and angular velocity, both of which should instantaneously become zero.
As with a ball hitting the floor, it might strike a barrier. Why is that a problem?
 
According to the solution to the related example problem in the book B and D have no linear velocity because they are at the lower limit of their respective motion ranges. I don't see why the angular velocities are not also zero, because the panels must also stop rotating.
Also from this reasoning if a ball strikes the floor it too is at the lower limit of its motion range but its velocity is not zero but
sqrt (2gh) which is not consistent with how this reasoning is applied to the panels.
 
The door comes to a stop due to a "stopping mechanism". If you were to remove this constraint, the door would oscillate between this shape "<" and this shape ">". The floor provides a similar "stopping mechanism" for your ball analogy.
 
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Andrew1234 said:
from this reasoning if a ball strikes the floor it too is at the lower limit of its motion range but its velocity is not zero but
sqrt (2gh) which is not consistent with how this reasoning is applied to the panels.
As I wrote in post #2, and has been echoed in post #4, the rotation stops because it strikes a barrier. This is exactly the same as a falling object hitting the ground.
 

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