Near to the point where I am standing on the surface of | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for Classical Mechanics

Chapter 4 Problem 4.7

Question

Near to the point where I am standing on the surface of Planet \(X\), the gravitational force on a mass \(m\) is vertically down but has magnitude \(m\gamma y^2\) where \(\gamma\) is a constant and \(y\) is the mass's height above the horizontal ground. (a) Find the work done by gravity on a mass m moving from \(r_1\) to \(r_2\), and use your answer to show that gravity on Planet X, although most unusual, is still conservative. Find the corresponding potential energy. (b) Still on the same planet, I thread a bead on a curved, frictionless, rigid wire, which extends from ground level to a height \(h\) above the ground. Show clearly in a picture the forces on the bead when it is somewhere on the wire. (Just name the forces so it's clear what they are; don't worry about their magnitude.) Which of the forces are conservative and which are not? (c) If I release the bead from rest at a height \(h\), how fast will it be going when it reaches the ground?

Solution

Step 1 of 4

The gravitational force on mass is given by,

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Title Classical Mechanics 0 
Author John R Taylor
ISBN 9781891389221

Near to the point where I am standing on the surface of

Chapter 4 textbook questions

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