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Modeling Task 1

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27 views2 pages

Modeling Task 1

Uploaded by

itimonraii
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Modeling Task 1

Xiaowei Shi, Manyu Zeng, Qige Wang


November 2024

1 Introduction
Modeling Task 1 is a project on applying calculus-based mathematics to math-
ematical modeling and is written by Xiaowei Shi. The document presents two
mini problems in math modeling, approximately in ascending order of difficulty.
These problems are based on what you’ve already learned in class and should
prepare you for doing further mathematical research. You will receive a second
and third modeling task after this, containing more difficult and open-ended
questions. Good luck!

2 Simple Harmonic Motion


A simple harmonic oscillator (SHO) is an idealized object in periodic motion;
more specifically, the object has to satisfy the following conditions:

1. The acceleration of the object is in the opposite direction of its displace-


ment from equilibrium
2. The magnitude of the object’s acceleration is proportional to the magni-
tude of its displacement from equilibrium
Now, use what you’ve learned to complete the following problems:

1. Use the model of a SHO to describe a mass-spring system relating the


acceleration of the system to its displacement.
2. Find the model for a simple pendulum with large displacement from equi-
librium. Show that it does not satisfy the model of a SHO.

3. Use the model of a SHO to construct a model for a simple pendulum also
relating the acceleration of the system to its displacement.
Make sure to clearly define all variables and list the assumptions used. Now,
solve the models and find displacement, velocity, and acceleration in terms of
time. In addition, express the velocity and kinetic energy of a SHO with regard
to displacement. Conclude a general model.

1
3 A Special Oscillator
You should have learned that real-life oscillators experience damping, such as
friction or air resistance. A common model for this damping acceleration is
d~x
~ad = b~v = b (1)
dt
Using what you’ve already learned,
1. Construct a model for SHO adjusted for damping
1t 2t
2. Hence, show that x = C1 e + C2 e is a general solution and find
3. Explain why this form of solution is not unique (hence the equation is not
well-posed) when the oscillation is critically damped
However, this model is oversimplified. In real-world scenarios, the damping
constant b is generally nonconstant. For instance, an oscillator flying at 10000m
would experience lower air resistance than an oscillator close to the ground.
With this in mind, attempt the following problems:
dP
1. You are given = ⇢~g and P = ⇢RT , where P is atmospheric pressure,
dh
h is the height, ⇢ is density of air, T = T0 h is the temperature of air,
and g, R are known constants. Solve this equation for ⇢ in terms of h.
2. For air resistance, a commonly used empirical approximation is
1
Fd = ⇢Cd A~v 2 (2)
2
where Fd is the drag force, ⇢ is the density of air, Cd is the drag co-
efficient, ~v is the object’s velocity, and A is the object’s cross-sectional
area. Hence, construct a modified di↵erential equation to model damped
oscillations using [2].
3. Does this modified equation share common solutions with the original
equation for damped SHO? Prove and explain.
4. The Maclaurin Polynomial of f (x) gives the approximate value of f
near f (0). The expression is

X1
xn f (n) (0)
f (x) = (3)
n=0
n!

For constant h, approximate ~x (t) using [3], given initial conditions


8
<~x (0) = ~xmax
d~x
: (0) = 0
dt

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