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LauraPhysics
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Homework Statement
Uniform Rod of length 0.2m and mass 0.2kg pivoted at one end. THe other end of attached to a horizontal spring with spring constant 3.0N/m. The spring is neither stretched nor compressed when the rod is perfectly vertical. You can also assume that the force due to the spring is always horizontal. The angle between the rod and equilibrium shall be called [tex]\phi[/tex]
A) Show that the equation of motion for the rod is :
(d^2[tex]\phi[/tex])/dt^2=-(3k/m)sin[tex]\phi[/tex]cos[tex]\phi[/tex]-(3g/2L)sin[tex]\phi[/tex] (10 marks
B) Determine the rod's oscillation period in the small-angle approximation
Homework Equations
d^2x/dt^2 +[tex]\omega[/tex]^2=0
F=-kx (spring)
F=ma
F= -mgsin[tex]\phi[/tex] (pendulum)
d^2[tex]\phi[/tex]/dt^2= (-Mgl/I)[tex]\phi[/tex]
I= 1/3ML^2
The Attempt at a Solution
So far, I have been able to deduce an equation of motion dependent on x, but not on [tex]\phi[/tex].
I calculated the restoring force for both the pendulum and the spring, I then used Newton's 2nd law to get -kx-mgsin[tex]\phi[/tex]=md^2x/dt^2
Then used the small angle approx to make sin[tex]\phi[/tex] equivalent to tan [tex]\phi[/tex]
Tan[tex]\phi[/tex] is x/l which subs into Eqn as -kx-mgx/l=md^2x/dt^2
Divide through by m and this leaves -k/mx-gx/l = d^2x/dt^2
Would be very grateful for any help with the where to go from here.