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Midtermsolution

The document describes a sky diver whose parachute opens while falling at 30 m/s. Their downward acceleration is then modeled by the equation a = g - cv^2, where g = 9.81 m/s^2 and c is a constant. They eventually descend at a constant 5 m/s. The questions ask: (a) to find the value of c and its units, (b) the maximum deceleration experienced, and (c) the velocity after falling 2 more meters.

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Grays Blues
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119 views

Midtermsolution

The document describes a sky diver whose parachute opens while falling at 30 m/s. Their downward acceleration is then modeled by the equation a = g - cv^2, where g = 9.81 m/s^2 and c is a constant. They eventually descend at a constant 5 m/s. The questions ask: (a) to find the value of c and its units, (b) the maximum deceleration experienced, and (c) the velocity after falling 2 more meters.

Uploaded by

Grays Blues
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A sky diver jumps from a helicopter and is falling

straight down at 30 m/s when her parachute opens. From


then on, her downward acceleration is approximately a =
g − cv2, where g = 9.81 m/s2 and c is a constant. After
an initial “transient” period she descends at a nearly
constant velocity of 5 m/s.

(a) What is the value of c, and what are its SI units?


(b) What maximum deceleration is the sky diver
subjected to?
(c) What is her downward velocity when she has fallen
2 meters from the point at which her parachute
opens?

Solution: Assume c > 0. Integrate:

(a) After the initial transient, she falls at a constant velocity, so that  
1
the acceleration is zero and cv2 = g, from which − ln |g − cv 2 | = s + C.
2c

g 9.81 m/s2 When the parachute opens s = 0 and v = 30 m/s, from which
c= = = 0.3924 m−1
v2 (5)2 m2 /s2  
1
C=− ln |g − 900c| = −7.4398.
(b) The maximum acceleration (in absolute value) occurs when the 2c
parachute first opens, when the velocity is highest:
The velocity as a function of distance is ln |g − cv2 | =
−2c(s + C). For s = 2 m,
amax = |g − cv 2 | = |g − c(30)2 | = 343.4 m/s2

v = 14.4 m/s
(c) Choose coordinates such that distance is measured positive down-
ward. The velocity is related to position by the chain rule:

dv dv ds dv
= =v = a,
dt ds dt ds

from which

v dv
= ds.
g − cv 2

29
At the instant shown, the piston’s velo-city and y
acceleration are vC = −14i (m/s) and aC =
−2200i (m/s2 ). What is the angular acceleration of the
crank AB?

B
50 mm C
A x

175 mm
50 mm

Solution: The velocity analysis:


vB = VA + ωAB × rB/A

= 0 + ωAB k × (0.05i + 0.05j)

= (−0.05ωAB i + 0.05ωAB j)

vC = vB + ωBC × rC/B

= (−0.05ωAB i + 0.05ωAB j) + ωBC k × (0.175i − 0.05j)

= (−0.05ωAB + 0.05ωAB )i + (0.05ωAB + 0.175ωBC )j = −14i

Equating components and solving we find that ωAB = 218 rad/s,


ωBC = −62.2 rad/s. The acceleration analysis:

aB = aA + αAB × rB/A − ωAB 2 rB/A

= 0 + αAB k × (0.05i + 0.05j) − (218)2 (0.05i + 0.05j)

= (−0.05αAB − 2370)i + (0.05αAB − 2370)j

aC = aB + αBC × rC/B − ωBC 2 rC/B

= (−0.05αAB − 2370)i + (0.05αAB − 2370)j + αBC k × (0.175i − 0.05j)

− (−62.2)2 (0.175i − 0.05j)

= (−0.05αAB − 2370 + 0.05αBC − 678)i

+ (0.05αAB − 2370 + 0.175αBC + 194)j

= −2200i
Equating components and solving, we find

αAB = −3530 rad/s2 , αBC = 13,500 rad/s2

Thus αAB = 3530 rad/s2 clockwise.


Q4 (10 pts): Answer the following questions (2 pts per question)

1. You kick a smooth flat stone out on a frozen pond. The stone slides, slows down and
eventually stops. You conclude that:

Solution: There is a net force acting on it that causes the stop

2. A ball is thrown straight up. At the top of its path, the magnitude of the net force acting
on it is: (circle the correct answer)
A. less than zero
B. between zero and mg
C. equal to mg
D. greater than mg
E. none from the above

3. The acceleration due to gravity is higher on Jupiter than on Earth. The mass and weight
of a rock on Jupiter compared to that on Earth would be (circle the correct answer)
A. same, more
B. same, less
C. more, more
D. more, less
E. same, same

4. A railroad wagon pushes down on a railroad with a force of 200 kN. Which of the
following is the “reaction force”? (circle the correct answer)
A. The wagon pulls up the Earth with 200 kN
B. The wagon pushes down the railroad with 200 kN
C. The railroad pushes up the wagon with 200 kN
D. The buoyant force pushes up the wagon with 200 kN
E. The wagon pushes down the Earth with 200 kN

5. If you exert a force F on an object which has a much greater mass than you do, the force
which the object exerts on you will (circle the correct answer)
A. be of magnitude F and in the same direction
B. be of magnitude F and in the opposite direction
C. be of much less magnitude than F
D. be of much greater magnitude than F E. be zero

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