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rusty65
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Homework Statement
Two children are sending signals along a cord of total mass 0.54 kg tied between tin cans with a tension of 37 N. It takes the vibrations in the string 0.53 s to go from one child to the other. How far apart are the children?
Express your answer using two significant figures
Homework Equations
Velocity of transverse wave on a cord = sqrt(F_t/[itex]\mu[/itex])
F_t = Tension Force
[itex]\mu[/itex] = mass per unit length -> m/l
The Attempt at a Solution
I attempted plugging the given values into the formula for velocity of a transverse wave on a cord, and came up with a distance of 4.387 meters. However, after getting the problem wrong (on masterphysics) I realized that the mass given for the cord is its total mass rather than mass per unit length. Seeing as what I am asked to find is the distance between the children (length of the cord) I don't see any way of solving this problem. Am i simply missing the proper formula? Any help would be greatly appreciated.