What Is the Speed of an Oscillating Particle at Equilibrium?

  • Thread starter Thread starter goonking
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Graph Position
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
37 replies · 4K views
PS personally I would never trade in the perfectly correct value of ##6\pi## m/s for an approximate answer (18.7 m/s w is a wrong rounding off for 18.8495559215... ) unless I was really forced to do so. After all, in subsequent calculations factors ##\pi## may well cancel out.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
BvU said:
PS personally I would never trade in the perfectly correct value of ##6\pi## m/s for an approximate answer (18.7 m/s w is a wrong rounding off for 18.8495559215... ) unless I was really forced to do so. After all, in subsequent calculations factors ##\pi## may well cancel out.
very true, ill keep that in mind
 
BvU said:
Draw a straight line with slope 3 m/s through the point (1.5s, 0 m) to check...
Where did the 2.5 s come from ? Not from me.
 
BvU said:
Where did the 2.5 s come from ? Not from me.
oh, i thought i needed to check by plotting the line at 2.5 secs with slope 6 pi.

but yes, before the 2.5 was a mistake i made :(
 
I'm lagging with my slow typing.

Acquiring some "dexterity" with sines and cosines is a good idea.
This exercise helps, but the ##A## and ##\omega## obfuscate things a bit (intentionally, from the point of viewof the exercise composer). For you, practicing with ##x = \sin (\omega t)## is more helpful (i.e. A = 1 and ##\omega = 1##).

Draw a graph of that and a unit circle on the same scale to the left and tadaa: values of x and speed at the angles ##0, {\pi\over 6}, {\pi\over 4}, {\pi\over 3}, {\pi\over 2}, {2\pi\over 3}, {5\pi\over 6}, {\pi} ## and each of these + ##{\pi}## become clear.

See how they all hang together, and also hang together with ##{d^2x\over dt^2} = -x##.

Once you have that internalized, dealing with ##A\ne 0## and ##\omega \ne 0## is a piece of cake and your efficiency in excercises will improve; also: you don't have to remember all that much.
 
BvU said:
I'm lagging with my slow typing.

Acquiring some "dexterity" with sines and cosines is a good idea.
This exercise helps, but the ##A## and ##\omega## obfuscate things a bit (intentionally, from the point of viewof the exercise composer). For you, practicing with ##x = \sin (\omega t)## is more helpful (i.e. A = 1 and ##\omega = 1##).

Draw a graph of that and a unit circle on the same scale to the left and tadaa: values of x and speed at the angles ##0, {\pi\over 6}, {\pi\over 4}, {\pi\over 3}, {\pi\over 2}, {2\pi\over 3}, {5\pi\over 6}, {\pi} ## and each of these + ##{\pi}## become clear.

See how they all hang together, and also hang together with ##{d^2x\over dt^2} = -x##.

Once you have that internalized, dealing with ##A\ne 0## and ##\omega \ne 0## is a piece of cake and your efficiency in excercises will improve; also: you don't have to remember all that much.
thanks for the advice :)
 
Welcome. Good luck with your physics binge.

More advice: get some rest when wearing out !
 
BvU said:
Welcome. Good luck with your physics binge.

More advice: get some rest when wearing out !
hehe, no rest for me.