28 Open query

#$&*

course PHY 201

11/25/2011 2:17 PM

Question: `qQuery class notes #26

Explain how we use proportionality along with

the radius rE of the Earth to determine the

gravitational acceleration at distance r from

the center of the Earth to obtain an expression

for the gravitational acceleration at this

distance. Explain how we use this expression

and the fact that centripetal forces is equal

to v^2 / r to obtain the velocity of a

satellite in circular orbit.

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Your solution:

aGrav=(G*mEarth)/r^2 is the acceleration due to

gravity for a given distance from the center of

the Earth. Once acceleration is found you can

set the aCent equal to this to solve for the

required velocity.

aCent=v^2/r

(G*mEarth)/r^2 = aCent,

v=+-sqrt((G*mEarth)/r^2)*r),

v=+-sqrt((G*mEarth)/r)

confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

`a** The proportionality is accel = k / r^2.

When r = rE, accel = 9.8 m/s^2 so

9.8 m/s^2 = k / rE^2.

Thus k = 9.8 m/s^2 * rE^2, and the

proportionality can now be written

accel = [ 9.8 m/s^2 * (rE)^2 ] / r^2.

Rearranging this gives us

accel = 9.8 m/s^2 ( rE / r ) ^2, which we

symbolize using g = 9.8 m/s^2 as

a = g rE^2 / r^2.

If we set the acceleration equal to v^2 / r, we

obtain

v^2 / r = g ( rE / r)^2 so that

v^2 = g ( rE^2 / r) and

v = sqrt( g rE^2 / r) = rE sqrt( g / r)

Thus if we know the radius of the Earth and the

acceleration of gravity at the surface we can

calculate orbital velocities without knowing

the universal gravitational constant G or the

mass of the Earth.

If we do know G and the mass of the Earth, we

can proceed as follows:

The gravitational force on mass m at distance r

from the center of the Earth is

F = G m M / r^2,

Where M is the mass of the Earth and m the mass

of the satellite. Setting this equal to the

centripetal force m v^2 / r on the satellite we

have

m v^2 / r = G m M / r^2, which we solve for v

to get

v = sqrt( G M / r).

**

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Self-critique (if necessary):

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Self-critique Rating:2

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Question: `qPrinciples of Physics and Gen Phy

problem 5.30 accel of gravity on Moon where

radius is 1.74 * 10^6 m and mass 7.35 * 10^22

kg.

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Your solution:

aGrav=(G*mMoon)/r^2,

aGrav=((6.67E-11N*m^2/kg^2)*(7.35E22kg))/

(1.74E6m)^2,

aGrav=1.6m/s^2

confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

`a** The acceleration due to gravity on the

Moon is found using the equation

g' = G (Mass of Moon)/ radius of moon ^2

g' = (6.67 x 10^-11 N*m^2/kg^2)(7.35 X 10^22

kg) / (1.74 X 10^6 m)^2 = 1.619 m/s^2 **

STUDENT COMMENT

The problem is set up correct but was not

solved for. The answer for the acceleration

from gravity is 1.619 m/s^2

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE

The numbers work out to 6.67 * 7.35 / (1.74)^2

* 10^-11 * 10^22 / (10^12), with 10^12 being

the square of 10^6.

The powers of 10 therefore work out to 10^(-11

+ 22 - 12) = 10^(-1).

You shouldn't require a calculator to get this

must.

You can then use the calculator to find 6.67 *

7.35 / (1.74)^2.

Your result is 16 * 10^-1 = 1.6. The units work

out as indicated.

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Self-critique (if necessary):

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Self-critique Rating:OK

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Question: `qQuery gen phy problem 5.40 force

due to planets (Mv, Mj, Ms, are .815, 318, 95.1

Me; orb radii 108, 150, 778, 1430 million km).

What is the total force on Earth due to the

planets, assuming perfect alignment?

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Your solution:

F = G * m1 * m2 / r^2

confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

`a** Using F = G m1 m2 / r^2 we get

Force due to Venus: F = 6.67 * 10^-11 N m^2 /

kg^2 * (5.97 * 10^24 kg) * (.815 * 5.97 * 10^24

kg) / (1.5 * 10^11 m - 1.08 * 10^11 m)^2 = 1.1

* 10^18 N, approx.

Force due to Jupiter: F = 6.67 * 10^-11 N m^2 /

kg^2 * (5.97 * 10^24 kg) * (318 * 5.97 * 10^24

kg) / (1.5 * 10^11 m - 7.78 * 10^11 m)^2 = 1.9

* 10^18 N, approx.

Force due to Saturn: F = 6.67 * 10^-11 N m^2 /

kg^2 * (5.97 * 10^24 kg) * (95.7 * 5.97 * 10^24

kg) / (1.5 * 10^11 m - 1.43 * 10^11 m)^2 = 1.4

* 10^17 N, approx.

Venus being 'inside' the Earth's orbit pulls in

the direction of the Sun while Jupiter and

Saturn pull in the opposite direction so the

net force is

-1.1 * 10^18 N + 1.9 * 10^18 N + 1.4 * 10^17 N

= .9 * 10^18 N = 9 * 10^17 N, approx.. **

STUDENT QUESTION

Where do we get 1.5 * 10^11 m as part of r? I’m

slightly confused as to where that came from?

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE

Each calculation will be based on the masses of

Earth and the planet in question, and on the

distance between them when they are perfectly

aligned.

The distance between Earth and another planet

at perfect alignment is the difference of their

distances from the Sun.

For example Venus is 1.08 * 10^11 m from the

Sun, while Earth is 1.5 * 10^11 m from the Sun.

The distance between Earth and Venus, when they

line on a straight line with the Sun (and on

the same side of the Sun) is therefore 1.5 *

10^11 m - 1.08 * 10^11 m.

Thus the quantity (1.5 * 10^11 m - 1.08 * 10^11

m)^2 in the denominator of the calculation for

Venus.

Calculations for Jupiter and Saturn are

similar, but each uses the appropriate distance

of that planet from the Sun, and of course the

mass of the planet.

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Self-critique (if necessary):

I started to work this. I used F = G * m1 * m2

/ r^2, to begin. I understood the force from

Venus would be opposite the sum of the forces

from the other two planets. What I didn't

understand was the extra radius listed in the

problem. From reading the solution I suppose I

was to assume the radii listed were the

distances from the Sun. I would have never

made this connection from just reading the

problem as the distance from the Sun was not a

factor.

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Self-critique Rating:3

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Question: `qUniv. 12.50 (12.44 10th edition).

25 kg, 100 kg initially 40 m apart, deep space.

Both objects have identical radii of .20 m.

When 20 m apart what is the speed of each

(relative to the initial common speed, we

presume), and what is the velocity relative to

one another? Where do they collide? Why does

position of center of mass not change?

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Your solution:

???

confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

`a

The question asks about the state of the system

when the objects are 20 m apart. This is

because at the 20 m separations, the objects

will first contact one another (each has

diameter 20 m, so each has radius 10 m, and two

sphere each with radius 10 m contact one

another at the instant their centers are 20 m

apart).

The question as phrased here didn't ask you to

find the force or the acceleration at any

point, but to put the problem in context we

will do so below:

The forces at the r1 = 40 m and r2 = 20 m

separations would be

F1 = (6.67 * 10^-11 N m^2 / kg^2 * 25 kg * 100

kg) / (20 m)^2 = 1 * 10^-10 N

F2 = (6.67 * 10^-11 N m^2 / kg^2 * 25 kg * 100

kg) / (20 m)^2 = 4 * 10^-10 N

Their accelerations are therefore

accel of first mass at 40 m separation: a = F1

/ m1 = 1 * 10^-10 N / (25 kg) = 4 * 10^-12

m/s^2

accel of first mass at 20 m separation: a = F2

/ m1 = 4 * 10^-10 N / (25 kg) = 16 * 10^-12

m/s^2 (written in this form for easy comparison

with the first value, but more properly written

1.6 * 10^-11 m/s^2)

accel of 2d mass at 40 m separation: a = F1 /

m1 = 1 * 10^-10 N / (100 kg) = 1 * 10^-12 m/s^2

accel of 2d mass at 20 m separation: a = F2 /

m1 = 4 * 10^-10 N / (100 kg) = 4 * 10^-12 m/s^2

** At separation r the force is F = G m1 m2 /

r^2.

For any small increment `dr of change in

separation the approximate work done by the

gravitational force is F `dr = G m1 m2 / r^2 *

`dr.

We take the sum of such contributions, between

the given separations, to form an approximation

to the total work done by the gravitational

force.

We then take the limit as `dr -> 0 and obtain

the integral of G m1 m2 / r^2 with respect to r

from separation r1 to separation r2.

An antiderivative is - G m1 m2 / r.

The change in the antiderivative between the

separations r1 and r2 is

- G m1 m2 / r1 - (-G m1 m2 / r2) = G m1 m2 (

1/r2 - 1 / r1).

This expression is evaluated at r1 = 40 m and

r2 = 20 m to get the change G m1 m2 ( 1/(20 m)

- 1 / (40 m) ) in KE.

We get KE of about 4 * 10^-9 Joules but you

should verify that carefully.

We use conservation of momentum and kinetic

energy to determine the final velocities:

Within a reference frame at rest with respect

to initial state of the masses the initial

momentum is zero.

If the velocities at the 20 m separation are v1

and v2 the from conservation of momentum, we

have

m1 v1 + m2 v2 = 0, so that v2 = -(m1 / m2) *

v1.

The total KE, which we found above, is .5 m1

v1^2 + .5 m2 v2^2.

Substituting v2 = - (m1 / m2) v1 and setting

equal to the KE we can find v1, then from this

we easily find v2.

You might get something like 4.1 * 10^-6 m/s

for the velocity of the 100 kg mass; this

number is again not guaranteed so verify it

yourself.

The position of the center of mass does not

change because there is no external force

acting on the 2-mass system.

The center of mass is at position r with

respect to m1 (taking m1 to be the 25 kg

object) such that

m1 r - m2 (40 meters -r) = 0.

Substituting m1 and m2 you get 25 r - 100 (40

meters - r ) = 0.

The solution for r is r = 4 / 5 * 40 meters =

32 m, approx.

This is the position of the collision relative

to the initial position of the 25 kg mass.

This position is 8 meters from the 100 kg mass.

STUDENT QUESTION

I don't know where that expression comes from:

m1*r-m2(40-r) = 0

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE

If you were to put m1 and m2 on opposite ends

of a balance of length L, then if the fulcrum

was placed at distance r from the mass m1, the

moment arms would be r and L - r.

Assuming m1 to be at the left end of the

balance, the net torque would be

m1 r - m2 ( L - r ).

The condition for the fulcrum to be at the

center of mass is that the net torque be zero.

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Self-critique (if necessary):

You stated in the solution that ""(each has

diameter 20 m, so each has radius 10 m"" but the

problem states ""Both objects have identical

radii of .20 m"". How do you arrive at radius

of 10m when it is stated the object has a

radius of .2 m?

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Self-critique Rating:0

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Question: `qQuery gen phy problem 5.50 24 m

diam wheel, rot period 12.5 s, fractional

change in apparent weight at top and at bottom.

What is the fractional change in apparent

weight at the top and that the bottom of the

Ferris wheel?

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Your solution:

I don't know where to start. I need to read

the solution.

confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

`a** Centripetal acceleration is a = v^2 / r.

For a point on the rim of the wheel, v = dist

in 1 rev / time for 1 rev = `pi * 24 m / (12.5

sec) = 1.9 pi m/s, approx. (about 6 m/s)

Thus v^2 / r = (`pi * 1.9 m/s)^2 / 12 m = 3

m/s^2, approx.

At the top the only accel is the centripetal,

and it is acting toward the center, therefore

downward. The forces acting on any mass at the

top are the gravitational force and the force

exerted by the wheel on the mass. At the top of

the wheel the latter force is the apparent

weight. Thus

grav force + apparent weight = centripetal

force

- m * 9.8 m/s^2 + wtApparent = m * (-3 m/s^2 )

wtApparent = m (-3 m/s^2) + m ( 9.8 m/s^2) = m

(6.8 m/s^2).

A similar analysis at the bottom, where the

centripetal force will be toward the center,

therefore upward, gives us

- m * 9.8 m/s^2 + wtApparent = m * (+3 m/s^2 )

wtApparent = m (+3 m/s^2) + m ( 9.8 m/s^2) = m

(12.8 m/s^2).

The ratio of weights is thus 12.8 / 6.8,

approx. **

A more elegant solution obtains the centripetal

force for this situation symbolically:

Centripetal accel is v^2 / r. Since for a point

on the rim we have

v = `pi * diam / period = `pi * 2 * r / period,

we obtain

aCent = v^2 / r = [ 4 `pi^2 r^2 / period^2 ] /

r = 4 `pi^2 r / period^2.

For the present case r = 12 meters and period

is 12.5 sec so

aCent = 4 `pi^2 * 12 m / (12.5 sec)^2 = 3

m/s^2, approx.

This gives the same results as before. **

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Self-critique (if necessary):

Okay, the solution using aCent and aGrav makes

complete sense to me. I could not follow the

""more elegant"" solution involving the period of

the ferris wheel.

For the circumference of the wheel the velocity

would be pi*diameter/period.

24m*pi/12.5s=6m/s approx

So aCent = (24m*pi/12.5s)^2/12m = 3 m/s^2

approx.

With gravity affecting the object at the top

and bottom and the aCent being directed toward

the center of the wheel:

At the top the apparent weight would be

mObject*(9.8m/s^2 - 3m/s^2) and at the bottom

the apparent weight would be mObject*(9.8m/s^2

+ 3m/s^2).

Top apparent weight = mObject*6.8m/s^2,

Bottom weight = mObject*12.8m/s^2.

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Self-critique Rating:2

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Question: `qQuery Add comments on any surprises

or insights you experienced as a result of this

assignment.

STUDENT QUESTION

So if you have 2 spheres in space and they both

start at rest, they will start moving toward

each other because of the

gravitational attraction. Is the reason that

doesn’t happen on Earth because of friction and

the fact that the attraction is

so tiny compared to the pull of the earth?

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE

Suppose you have two 1 kg spheres, with their

centers separated by 10 cm. The gravitational

attraction between the spheres would be about

10^-10 as great as the gravitational attraction

of each to the Earth.

So for example if one of the masses was

suspended by a thread 1 meter long, then if the

other mass is brought to within .1 meter, the

position of the suspended mass would change by

about 10^-10 meters, the approximate diameter

of a single atom. We wouldn't be able to

measure that.

The gravitational forces between objects on the

Earth are just too insignificant to be measured

in this way.

Now we could put the system into a vacuum and

allow the suspended mass to oscillate back and

forth past the other mass. The gravitational

attraction would affect the period of the

pendulum, and over a large number of

oscillations we might be able to detect the

effect.

If we modify this idea slightly and use a

torsion pendulum, then we have the basic idea

of the Cavendish balance (you can search that

term, which I believe you will encounter fairly

soon in your text).

"

Self-critique (if necessary):

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Self-critique rating:

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Question: `qQuery Add comments on any surprises

or insights you experienced as a result of this

assignment.

STUDENT QUESTION

So if you have 2 spheres in space and they both

start at rest, they will start moving toward

each other because of the

gravitational attraction. Is the reason that

doesn’t happen on Earth because of friction and

the fact that the attraction is

so tiny compared to the pull of the earth?

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE

Suppose you have two 1 kg spheres, with their

centers separated by 10 cm. The gravitational

attraction between the spheres would be about

10^-10 as great as the gravitational attraction

of each to the Earth.

So for example if one of the masses was

suspended by a thread 1 meter long, then if the

other mass is brought to within .1 meter, the

position of the suspended mass would change by

about 10^-10 meters, the approximate diameter

of a single atom. We wouldn't be able to

measure that.

The gravitational forces between objects on the

Earth are just too insignificant to be measured

in this way.

Now we could put the system into a vacuum and

allow the suspended mass to oscillate back and

forth past the other mass. The gravitational

attraction would affect the period of the

pendulum, and over a large number of

oscillations we might be able to detect the

effect.

If we modify this idea slightly and use a

torsion pendulum, then we have the basic idea

of the Cavendish balance (you can search that

term, which I believe you will encounter fairly

soon in your text).

"

Self-critique (if necessary):

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Self-critique rating:

#*&!

@& You had a question about the University Physics problem.

The radii of the object aren't relevant, as long as the separation of the objects is greater than the sum of the radii (i.e., as long as the objects do not interpenetrate).

The r in Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation is the separationg of the centers of mass of the two object, and except for the condition mentioned above is unrelated to the radii of the objects.

The objects are 20 meters apart.*@