Solve 2 Physics Problems: Air-Track Glider & Planet X Gravity

You need to use radians, not degrees in the second line, and you need to use the numbers provided in the problem, not your own calculations.
  • #1
oldunion
182
0
An air-track glider is attached to a spring. The glider is pulled to the right and released from rest at t=0 s. It then oscillates with a period of 2.05 s and a maximum speed of 58.0 cm/s.

i found the amplitude to be 18.92. they want the gliders position at time 24 seconds. my answer of 5.35 and 5.4 are both wrong.

18.92cos(2pi(24)/2.05) this is what i did and i don't know what's wrong.


Problem 2:
On your first trip to Planet X you happen to take along a 165 g mass, a 40-cm-long spring, a meter stick, and a stopwatch. You're curious about the acceleration due to gravity on Planet X, where ordinary tasks seem easier than on earth, but you can't find this information in your Visitor's Guide. One night you suspend the spring from the ceiling in your room and hang the mass from it. You find that the mass stretches the spring by 31.5 cm. You then pull the mass down 6.60 cm and release it. With the stopwatch you find that 11.0 oscillations take 15.4 s.

their question is "can you now satisfy your curiosity"? answr in m/s^2

i don't really have a clue here
 
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  • #2
oldunion said:
An air-track glider is attached to a spring. The glider is pulled to the right and released from rest at t=0 s. It then oscillates with a period of 2.05 s and a maximum speed of 58.0 cm/s.

i found the amplitude to be 18.92. they want the gliders position at time 24 seconds. my answer of 5.35 and 5.4 are both wrong.

18.92cos(2pi(24)/2.05) this is what i did and i don't know what's wrong.

The above equation is correct. But the numbers you gave (5.35,5.4) are wrong. Calculate the above again. Make sure you use radians on your calculator.

Problem 2:
On your first trip to Planet X you happen to take along a 165 g mass, a 40-cm-long spring, a meter stick, and a stopwatch. You're curious about the acceleration due to gravity on Planet X, where ordinary tasks seem easier than on earth, but you can't find this information in your Visitor's Guide. One night you suspend the spring from the ceiling in your room and hang the mass from it. You find that the mass stretches the spring by 31.5 cm. You then pull the mass down 6.60 cm and release it. With the stopwatch you find that 11.0 oscillations take 15.4 s.

their question is "can you now satisfy your curiosity"? answr in m/s^2

i don't really have a clue here

First find k for the spring... a spring mass oscillator's period T depends only on k and m. T = 2*pi*sqrt(k/m) You can calculate the period. You can calculate m... So you should be able to solve for k.

Now you need to find g using k... hint: what are the forces acting on the mass when it is stretched 0.315m... can you get another equation that let's you solve for g?
 
  • #3
k = .165 *(2*pi*.4756)^2 (for omega squared where omega is equal to 2piF, where f equals 10oscillations/14.5 seconds.
k=3.0981
3.0981(.315)-(.165)g=0

g=5.9147

does this look correct before i submit it and lose points.
 
  • #4
it is incorrect
 
  • #5
You need to get some algebra correct first

[tex]T = 2 \pi {\sqrt{\frac{k}{m}}}[/tex]

[tex]k = m \left[\frac{T}{2 \pi}\right]^2[/tex]

[tex]k = m \left[\frac{1}{2 \pi f}\right]^2[/tex]

The original statement of the problem said 11 oscillations, not 10, so f = 11/14.5 seconds = . . .
 
Last edited:

Related to Solve 2 Physics Problems: Air-Track Glider & Planet X Gravity

1. What is an air-track glider and how does it work?

An air-track glider is a simple physics apparatus used to study the motion of objects with minimal friction. It consists of a level track with a cushion of air beneath it and a glider that can slide smoothly on the track. The air cushion reduces friction, allowing for more accurate measurements of motion.

2. How can the air-track glider be used to study motion?

The air-track glider can be used to study various principles of motion, such as acceleration, velocity, and forces. By changing the mass of the glider or the angle of the track, different experiments can be conducted to observe the effects on motion.

3. What is Planet X and how does its gravity differ from Earth's?

Planet X is a hypothetical planet beyond Neptune that has not yet been discovered. Its gravity is believed to be much stronger than Earth's, making it a potential candidate for explaining certain anomalies in the orbits of other planets in our solar system.

4. How would the air-track glider behave on Planet X?

If we assume that Planet X has a much stronger gravitational pull than Earth, the air-track glider would experience a greater force of gravity and thus have a higher acceleration. This would result in faster speeds and shorter travel distances on the air-track glider compared to Earth.

5. How can the air-track glider and Planet X be used together to study gravity?

By conducting experiments with the air-track glider on both Earth and Planet X, we can observe the effects of different levels of gravity on the motion of the glider. This can help us better understand the principles of gravity and potentially provide insights into the properties of Planet X.

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