Solve Acceleration Due to Gravity on Distant Planet

  • Thread starter Thread starter Malaya
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Shm Waves
AI Thread Summary
To determine the acceleration due to gravity on a distant planet, an astronaut measures the time for a transverse pulse to travel a 1.5 m wire supporting a 0.060-kg ball. The time recorded is 0.098 seconds, and the wire's linear density is 3.1 x 10^-4 kg/m. The calculations initially led to an incorrect force due to a misunderstanding of the velocity formula, where the user mistakenly used multiplication instead of division. Correcting this error is crucial for accurately calculating the gravitational acceleration. Attention to detail in applying formulas is essential for solving physics problems effectively.
Malaya
Messages
3
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



To measure the acceleration due to gravity on a distant planet, an astronaut hangs a 0.060-kg ball from the end of a wire. The wire has a length of 1.5 m and a linear density of 3.1 multiplied by 10-4 kg/m. Using electronic equipment, the astronaut measures the time for a transverse pulse to travel the length of the wire and obtains a value of 0.098 s. The mass of the wire is negligible compared to the mass of the ball. Determine the acceleration due to gravity.

m=.06 kg
l=1.5m
linear density= 3.1 multiplied by 10-4 kg/m
t(time)=0.098 s
a=?

Homework Equations


v=d/t
v=√ F/linear density
F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution



v=dt
v=1.5 x .098
v=.147

v=√ F/linear density
.147=√ F/3.1 multiplied by 10-4 kg/m
.0216=F/3.1 multiplied by 10-4 kg/m
.0216 x 3.1 multiplied by 10-4 kg/m=F
F= 6.699e-6

F=ma
6.699e-6=.06 kg x a
a=1.12e-4

my answer was WRONG!
Why??
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Well, in your Relevant Equations you state that v=d/t (which is correct) but in the first step of your solution you seem to use v=d*t.

It might just be as simple as that.
 
Wow, thank you sooooo much, its funny how little mistakes can make a mess out of a problem!
 
Kindly see the attached pdf. My attempt to solve it, is in it. I'm wondering if my solution is right. My idea is this: At any point of time, the ball may be assumed to be at an incline which is at an angle of θ(kindly see both the pics in the pdf file). The value of θ will continuously change and so will the value of friction. I'm not able to figure out, why my solution is wrong, if it is wrong .
TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...
Back
Top