How Is Terminal Velocity Calculated in a Magnetic Rail System?

In summary, a bar of negligible resistance and mass of 17 kg is pulled horizontally across frictionless parallel rails by a massless string that is attached to a suspended mass of 190 g. The uniform magnetic field has a magnitude of 600 mT and the distance between the rails is 33 cm. The terminal velocity reached by the bar is calculated using the equations for force, Ohm's Law, and flux. The acceleration of the bar can also be calculated using the mass of the bar and the external forces acting on it.
  • #1
Punchlinegirl
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A bar of negligible resistance and mass of 17 kg is pulled horizontally across frictionless parallel rails, also of negligible resistance, by a massless string that passes over an ideal pulley and is attached to a suspended mass of 190 g. The uniform magnetic field has a magnitude of 600 mT, and the distance between the rails is 33 cm. The rails are connected at one end by a load resistor of 34 m[tex]\omega [/tex].What is the magnitude of the terminal velocity reached by the bar? Answer in units of m/s.

First I drew a free body diagram on the weight, and found that [tex] F_g= Mg= F_m= ILB [/tex]
so I= Mg/LB
Then I used Ohm's Law.
I= E/R= [tex] 1/R * d\phi /dt [/tex]
and flux= BA
so [tex] d\phi/dt [/tex] = B (dA/dt)= BLV
then I= BLV/R , where V is the terminal velocity
so Mg/LB = BLV/R
Solving for V gives MgR/L^2 *B^2.
Then I plugged in my numbers
V= (.19)(9.8)(.034)/(.33^2)(.6^2)
and I got 1.61 m/s
The second part is: What is the acceleration when the velocity v= 1.1 m/s?
I set 1.1 =(.19)(.034)g/(.33^2)(.6^2) and got 6.68 m/s.. which isn't right.. can someone please help?
 
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  • #2
Punchlinegirl said:
A bar of negligible resistance and mass of 17 kg is pulled horizontally across frictionless parallel rails, also of negligible resistance, by a massless string that passes over an ideal pulley and is attached to a suspended mass of 190 g. The uniform magnetic field has a magnitude of 600 mT, and the distance between the rails is 33 cm. The rails are connected at one end by a load resistor of 34 m[tex]\omega [/tex].What is the magnitude of the terminal velocity reached by the bar? Answer in units of m/s.

First I drew a free body diagram on the weight, and found that [tex] F_g= Mg= F_m= ILB [/tex]
so I= Mg/LB

Then I used Ohm's Law.
I= E/R= [tex] 1/R * d\phi /dt [/tex]
and flux= BA
so [tex] d\phi/dt [/tex] = B (dA/dt)= BLV
then I= BLV/R , where V is the terminal velocity
so Mg/LB = BLV/R
Solving for V gives MgR/L^2 *B^2.
Then I plugged in my numbers
V= (.19)(9.8)(.034)/(.33^2)(.6^2)
and I got 1.61 m/s
The second part is: What is the acceleration when the velocity v= 1.1 m/s?
I set 1.1 =(.19)(.034)g/(.33^2)(.6^2) and got 6.68 m/s.. which isn't right.. can someone please help?
Where does the 17kg mass of the bar fit into this? The dropping weight provides the force that accelerates both itself and the bar.

AM
 
  • #3
so would I just do
1.1= (.19+17)(.034)g/(.33^2)(.6^2) ?
Thats the only place that I think the mass can go.
 
  • #4
Punchlinegirl said:
so would I just do
1.1= (.19+17)(.034)g/(.33^2)(.6^2) ?
Thats the only place that I think the mass can go.
You are using a condition for v that applies only where the acceleration is 0.

Go back to the beginning:

[tex]Mg - T = Ma[/tex] and

[tex]T - F_m = m_{bar}a[/tex] so:

[tex]Mg - F_m = (m_{bar} + M)a[/tex]

so:

[tex]a = (Mg - F_m)/(m_{bar} + M)[/tex]

so:

[tex]a = (Mg - B^2L^2v/R)/(m_{bar} + M)[/tex]

Just plug in the numbers.

AM
 

FAQ: How Is Terminal Velocity Calculated in a Magnetic Rail System?

What is terminal velocity?

Terminal velocity is the maximum velocity that an object can reach when falling through a fluid, such as air or water. It occurs when the force of gravity pulling the object down is equal to the force of air resistance pushing against the object, resulting in a constant velocity.

How is terminal velocity calculated?

The formula for calculating terminal velocity is v = √(2mg/ρAC), where v is the terminal velocity, m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, ρ is the density of the fluid, A is the cross-sectional area of the object, and C is the drag coefficient.

What factors affect terminal velocity?

The factors that affect terminal velocity include the mass and surface area of the object, the density and viscosity of the fluid, and the force of gravity acting on the object. Temperature and altitude can also have an impact on terminal velocity.

Can an object reach terminal velocity in a vacuum?

No, an object cannot reach terminal velocity in a vacuum because there is no fluid present to create air resistance. In a vacuum, there is only the force of gravity acting on the object, causing it to accelerate continuously.

How does terminal velocity affect skydivers?

Skydivers rely on air resistance to slow their fall and reach a safe landing speed. As they fall, they will accelerate until they reach their terminal velocity. By adjusting their body position, they can increase or decrease their surface area and change their terminal velocity. At a certain altitude, they will deploy their parachute to further decrease their terminal velocity and safely land on the ground.

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