warfreak131
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Edit: sorry, i meant a problem concerning kinetic and potential energy :)
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/8787/diagramln.jpg
A mass on a pendulum with length L has a velocity of \sqrt{2gL} at it's lowest point. At it's lowest point, the string hits a pole at a distance of .8L sticking out of the wall. What is it's velocity when it reaches its highest point?
KE_{bottom} = PE_{top}+KE_{top}
The distance between the pole and the bottom is .2L, so the height at the top is .6L.
Since it has a velocity and a height at the top, it has both kinetic and potential energy. The potential energy at the bottom of the pendulum is 0. So I thought:
\frac{1}{2}m{v^2}_{bottom} = mg(.6L)+\frac{1}{2}m{v^2}_{top}
\frac{1}{2}2mgL = m(.6gL+\frac{v^2}{2})
gL = .6gL+\frac{v^2}{2}
.4gL = \frac{v^2}{2}
.8gL = {v^2}
\sqrt{.8gL} = v
but the book says the answer is \sqrt{1.2gL}
Homework Statement
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/8787/diagramln.jpg
A mass on a pendulum with length L has a velocity of \sqrt{2gL} at it's lowest point. At it's lowest point, the string hits a pole at a distance of .8L sticking out of the wall. What is it's velocity when it reaches its highest point?
Homework Equations
KE_{bottom} = PE_{top}+KE_{top}
The Attempt at a Solution
The distance between the pole and the bottom is .2L, so the height at the top is .6L.
Since it has a velocity and a height at the top, it has both kinetic and potential energy. The potential energy at the bottom of the pendulum is 0. So I thought:
\frac{1}{2}m{v^2}_{bottom} = mg(.6L)+\frac{1}{2}m{v^2}_{top}
\frac{1}{2}2mgL = m(.6gL+\frac{v^2}{2})
gL = .6gL+\frac{v^2}{2}
.4gL = \frac{v^2}{2}
.8gL = {v^2}
\sqrt{.8gL} = v
but the book says the answer is \sqrt{1.2gL}
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