What is the Damping Constant for a Hard Boiled Egg on a Spring?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a hard boiled egg attached to a spring, with a focus on determining the damping constant based on given parameters such as mass, spring constant, initial displacement, and amplitude change over time.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to use an energy equation to find the damping constant but struggles with the velocity term and how to incorporate the amplitude change over time. Some participants question the validity of the equation used, noting that it mixes forces and energies incorrectly.

Discussion Status

Participants are exploring different interpretations of the problem, with some suggesting that the original equation is not appropriate for this context. There are references to external resources that may provide relevant equations for damped oscillators, indicating a search for more suitable approaches.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of difficulty in finding an appropriate equation that incorporates the provided values, highlighting potential gaps in the original poster's understanding of the problem setup.

jghlee
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Homework Statement



A 45.0-g hard boiled egg moves on the end of a spring with a force constant k = 2.50 N/m. Its initial displacement is 0.500 m. A damping force Fx = -bvx acts on the egg, and the amplitude of the motion decreases to 0.300 m in 4.0 s. Calculate the magnitude of the damping constant b.


Homework Equations



(1/2)m(v^2) + (1/2)k(x^2) - bv = (1/2)m(A^2)

The Attempt at a Solution



So basically I thought you could solve this question by using the above equation. But I'm finding some difficulty in finding the correct value for v (from bv). Also I'm not sure on how to incorporate the fact that the amplitudes change in 4 seconds into this equation. Any help will be appreciated!
 
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That equation is wrong. Since bv is a force, no way can it be added or subtracted from these other terms which are energies.

Usually a problem like this is solved by looking in your textbook for the equation of a damped oscillator.
 
Redbelly98 said:
That equation is wrong. Since bv is a force, no way can it be added or subtracted from these other terms which are energies.

Usually a problem like this is solved by looking in your textbook for the equation of a damped oscillator.

I'm still having trouble doing this problem. I don't seem to find any equation where I can incorporate the different values given in the question.

Can anybody help me?
 

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