Vector of a particle moving in space help

In summary: Oh my! one more mistake. I am tired of gardening :) It is (2i-3/2j). It is parallel with the given vector.
  • #1
zorro
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Homework Statement



The position vector of a particle moving in space is given by
[tex]\vec{r}[/tex]=[tex](1+cos2wt)[/tex][tex]\hat{i}[/tex] [tex]+[/tex] [tex]3sin^{2}wt[/tex][tex]\hat{j}[/tex][tex]+[/tex][tex]3t[/tex][tex]\hat{k}[/tex]
in the ground frame. All the units are in SI. Find the position vector and amplitude of the particle in a frame S moving along the positive z-axis with a velocity 3m/s. Is the line of S.H.M. of the particle parallel to [tex]4/5[/tex][tex]\hat{i}-3/5[/tex][tex]\hat{j}[/tex]?

Attempt:

The P.V. of the frame S at any time t is 3t [tex]\hat{k}[/tex].
From this we can find out the P.V. of the particle w.r.t. the frame S.

I differentiated it w.r.t. time to find out the velocity vector and found Vmax, which is 5w.
Vmax=Aw
so A=5m

Unfortunately, I got both of them incorrect :/
 
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  • #2


Is it the formula?

[tex]\vec {r}=(1+\cos(2\omega t)\hat {i }+3\sin^2(\omega t)\hat {j}+3t\hat{k}[/tex],

(click on it and see the Latex code).

How did you get the result vmax=5w?

The amplitude can be found without the velocity. Find the direction of the SHM and write it along this direction as A(cos2wt)*(unit vector). ehild
 
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  • #3


Correction- The component of the P.V. along x-axis is 1+2cos2wt.
First I found out the velocity, then differentiated it to find the condition of Vmax and got wt = pi/4 (one of the solutions)
Subsitituting the value of wt in the equation for velocity, I found out the magnitude of Vmax as 5w.

How to find out the direction of SHM?
 
  • #4


The velocity is a vector. Only the magnitude of a vector has maximum or minimum.
A simple harmonic motion always happens along a certain direction. On a table, it is horizontal, a body suspended on a spring oscillates vertically, a body on a slope, connected to a spring oscillates along the slope. The amplitude includes information about the direction of oscillation. In general, it is a vector. Think of the polarization of electromagnetic waves.

Collect the cosine terms: you get a cosine multiplied by a vector: it is the vector amplitude.

ehild
 
  • #5


ehild said:
The velocity is a vector. Only the magnitude of a vector has maximum or minimum.

Magnitude of the vector has max/min when each of its component has max/min. That happens when wt=pi/4.

ehild said:
Collect the cosine terms: you get a cosine multiplied by a vector: it is the vector amplitude.

ehild
I understand that there is a line of motion of any S.H.M. How do I 'collect' the cosine terms? I don't get your point here.
 
  • #6


Abdul Quadeer said:
Magnitude of the vector has max/min when each of its component has max/min. That happens when wt=pi/4.
Think it over.
Abdul Quadeer said:
I understand that there is a line of motion of any S.H.M. How do I 'collect' the cosine terms? I don't get your point here.
Edit: As sin2(ωt)=0.5(1-cos(2ωt)) both components of the position vector have a time-dependent cos(2ωt) term. Factoring this out, you have the sum of a constant vector and an oscillating one.

ehild
 
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  • #7


ehild said:
Think it over.

I was wrong :redface:


ehild said:
As sin2(ωt)=1-cos(2ωt) both components of the position vector have a time-dependent cos(2ωt) term. Factoring this out, you have the sum of a constant vector and an oscillating one.

ehild

I got the oscillating term as (i-3j/2)cos2wt
So the amplitude is (13)1/2/2.
But this is not correct.
 
  • #8


Well, i made a mistake in the previous post: sin2(ωt)=0.5(1-cos(2ωt)).
You have corrected the first formula in your second post : "Correction- The component of the P.V. along x-axis is 1+2cos2wt."

So the position vector is

(i+3/2j)+(2i+3/2 j) cos(2ωt)

at the end, and the magnitude |(2i+3/2 j)|=5/2.

ehild
 
  • #9


ok, so the line of SHM of particle is 2i + 3/2j which is not parallel to the vector given in the question.

Thanks!
 
  • #10


Abdul Quadeer said:
ok, so the line of SHM of particle is 2i + 3/2j which is not parallel to the vector given in the question.

Thanks!

Oh my! one more mistake. I am tired of gardening :) It is

2i -3/2j. It is parallel with the given vector.

ehild
 

FAQ: Vector of a particle moving in space help

What is a vector in physics?

A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude (size) and direction. In physics, it is represented by an arrow to show the direction and length to indicate the magnitude.

How is a vector of a particle moving in space represented?

A vector of a particle moving in space is represented by an arrow pointing in the direction of the particle's movement, with the length of the arrow representing the speed or magnitude of the particle's velocity.

3. What is the difference between position vector and displacement vector?

A position vector represents the location of a particle in space relative to a fixed point, while a displacement vector represents the change in position of a particle from one location to another.

4. How do you calculate the magnitude of a vector?

The magnitude of a vector can be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem, which states that the magnitude is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of its components. In other words, it is the length of the arrow representing the vector.

5. Can a vector have a negative magnitude?

Yes, a vector can have a negative magnitude if it is pointing in the opposite direction of its reference point. This is often seen in displacement vectors, where the direction of movement may be negative if it is in the opposite direction of the reference point.

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