Solving Work with Constant Force and Gravity on Mass in a Vertical Circle

In summary, the conversation discussed a situation with a constant tangential force acting on a mass in a vertical circle around a loop, with the only other force being gravity. The work-energy theorem was used to calculate the velocity of the mass at the bottom of the loop, but there seemed to be an error in the calculation. The conversation ends with a request for help and more information on the calculations being done.
  • #1
particlemath
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So I have a constant force F acting tangentially on a mass m in a vertical circle around a loop of radius r. The mass starts from rest at the very top of the loop. The only other force is gravity, that is m*g

Now I did Work=Change in energy with a system that is comprised of both the Earth and mass.

Here work is simply 2*pi*r*F.

When I try to solve this by seperating this into two parts, finding velocity at the bottom of the loop using work energy thm then using that as the initial velocity for another work energy theorem setup, it didn't work.

Why? Work energy theorem is supposed to work all the time. Gravity is conservative, so the results should be the same regardless.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
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  • #2
I think you will have to show your working so someone can see where the error is.
 
  • #3
hmm. to start with, if the particle initially has zero velocity, and there is only a tangential force F, plus gravity force, then the particle will not be able to move in a circle.

edit: although, the radial force should not matter for your work energy theorem calculation anyway, since it will be perpendicular to the particle's velocity. So anyway, what is it that you are calculating? (as CWatter says, more information would help). In the work-energy theorem method, I'm guessing you say that when the particle is initially at the top of the loop, it has zero kinetic energy, and the constant tangential force F acts on it as it goes around the loop once, so that work 2*pi*r*F is done on the particle, so when it has done the loop once, it should have kinetic energy equal to 2*pi*r*F, right?
 
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1. What is the equation for solving work with constant force and gravity on mass in a vertical circle?

The equation for solving work in this scenario is W = Fdcosθ, where W represents work, F represents the force applied, d represents the distance traveled, and θ represents the angle between the force and the displacement.

2. How does the direction of the constant force affect the work done on the mass in a vertical circle?

The direction of the constant force can affect the work done on the mass in a vertical circle. If the force is applied in the same direction as the displacement, the work done will be positive. If the force is applied in the opposite direction of the displacement, the work done will be negative.

3. How does the mass of the object affect the work done in a vertical circle?

The mass of the object does not affect the work done in a vertical circle, as it is not a factor in the equation for work. However, the mass will affect the force needed to move the object and the acceleration experienced by the object.

4. Is work done when the object is at the bottom of the vertical circle?

Yes, work is still being done even when the object is at the bottom of the vertical circle. This is because the force of gravity is still acting on the object and causing it to move in a circular path. The work done at the bottom of the circle will depend on the angle between the force of gravity and the displacement of the object.

5. How can the work done in a vertical circle be increased?

The work done in a vertical circle can be increased by increasing the force applied or the distance traveled. Additionally, the work can be increased by changing the angle between the force and the displacement to be more in line with each other.

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