What Speed Makes a Pendulum Oscillate Most in a Moving Train?

[Jordan&physics]

Mentor Note -- thread moved from the technical forums, so no HH Tempate is shown...>> [/color]
1. (10 points) A pendulum of length l = 39 cm is suspended in a railway car. At what train speed would the pendulum be oscillating with largest amplitude ? The length of the rails is l = 25 m.

I am just not sure what the question is asking :-/ Why would the pendulum oscillate if the train was moving at a constant velocity? It doesn't specify an acceleration, and I don't know what they mean by specifying the "length of rails." Please, I am really lost on this one.

 

[berkeman]

1. (10 points) A pendulum of length l = 39 cm is suspended in a railway car. At what train speed would the pendulum be oscillating with largest amplitude ? The length of the rails is l = 25 m.

I am just not sure what the question is asking :-/ Why would the pendulum oscillate if the train was moving at a constant velocity? It doesn't specify an acceleration, and I don't know what they mean by specifying the "length of rails." Please, I am really lost on this one.

Yeah, based on what you posted, this question makes no sense IMO. Can you scan the problem so we can see if there is additional info?

 

[Jordan&physics]

I actually copied and pasted it directly from the problem set. There was absolutely no more information given.

 

[berkeman]

Yikes, can you e-mail a TA or prof for clarification?

 

[NascentOxygen]

Could this be a model train, flying round and round on a circular track, circumference 25m?

 

[gneill]

Could be that the finite rail lengths are intended to be responsible for a "clickety-clack" that slightly jounces the train carriage at regular intervals. A tuned system like a pendulum would be sensitive to particular frequencies...

 

[ehild]

Could be that the finite rail lengths are intended to be responsible for a "clickety-clack" that slightly jounces the train carriage at regular intervals. A tuned system like a pendulum would be sensitive to particular frequencies...

http://www.infovisual.info/05/img_en/046%20Railroad%20track.jpg
Listen the clickety-clack sound