Physics Help: Raindrop Mass & Styrofoam Acceleration Problems

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around problems related to forces acting on a raindrop and a piece of Styrofoam, focusing on concepts of terminal velocity and acceleration due to gravity. The original poster presents multiple questions regarding the mass of a raindrop and the behavior of Styrofoam when dropped from a height.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between forces acting on the raindrop at terminal velocity and how to derive its mass using Newton's laws. They also explore the implications of reaching terminal velocity for the Styrofoam and how to calculate the constant b based on the given conditions.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered insights into the application of Newton's laws and the summation of forces. There is an ongoing exploration of how to approach the calculations for both the raindrop and the Styrofoam, with various interpretations of the problem setup being considered.

Contextual Notes

The original poster expresses time constraints and emphasizes the importance of these questions in their homework. There is a focus on understanding the underlying physics rather than just obtaining answers.

muna580
I have some questions which I don't know how to do do. Please can someone help me do it please? I only have 20 mins to finish bunch of homework and out of all the questions, these are majors ones that I dont' know how to do.

1. The force of air resistance on a raindrop is 4.8 x 10^-5 N when it falls with a terminal velocity of 5.4 m/s.

The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2.
What is the mass of the raindrop? Answer in units of kg.

2. A small piece of Styrofoam packing material is dropped from a height of 2.47 m above the ground. Until the terminal speed is reached, the acceleration is given by a = g - bv. After falling 0.64 m, it reaches terminal speed, and the Styrofoam takes an extra 2.2 s to reach the ground.

What is the value of the constant b? Answer in units of s^-1.

3. (Part of #2) What is the acceleration when the speed is 0.15 m/s? Answer in units of m/s^2.
 
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muna580 said:
I have some questions which I don't know how to do do. Please can someone help me do it please? I only have 20 mins to finish bunch of homework and out of all the questions, these are majors ones that I dont' know how to do.

1. The force of air resistance on a raindrop is 4.8 x 10^-5 N when it falls with a terminal velocity of 5.4 m/s.

The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2.
What is the mass of the raindrop? Answer in units of kg.
After it reached terminal velocity, it doesn't accelerate anymore. What does Newton's laws tell you about the net force acting upon the raindrop?

2. A small piece of Styrofoam packing material is dropped from a height of 2.47 m above the ground. Until the terminal speed is reached, the acceleration is given by a = g - bv. After falling 0.64 m, it reaches terminal speed, and the Styrofoam takes an extra 2.2 s to reach the ground.

What is the value of the constant b? Answer in units of s^-1.
You are given how long it takes to reach the ground from a height you can calculate when it reaches terminal velocity, so you can calculate the terminal velocity. Then you can find b by again considering the forces acting on the package.

3. (Part of #2) What is the acceleration when the speed is 0.15 m/s? Answer in units of m/s^2.

a=g-bv. You know g, v is given, you calculated b above. So plug away.
 
#1 is just a \sum F = ma. It says terminal velocity so it implies that no acceleration exists, which means you just sum the forces = 0. Plug in the 2 forces and solve for mass.
 
Wow guys thanks a lot. I love this website. I am going to refer this site to a lot of my freinds. I will also try to help out other people who need help. Thanks. I have more questions coming up. lol :biggrin:
 

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