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    1. We know tex2html_wrap_inline119 with initial tex2html_wrap_inline121 , tex2html_wrap_inline123 . Integrate with respect to time to get

      displaymath125

      Initial conditions give tex2html_wrap_inline127 . So tex2html_wrap_inline129 which approaches the constant a/bm asymptotically in time:

      tex2html_wrap239

      Another integration gives

      displaymath133

      which setting equal to tex2html_wrap_inline135 initially gives tex2html_wrap_inline137 Note that this asymptotically approaches the line x = at/bm:

      tex2html_wrap241

    2. We invert our expression above for velocity to obtain

      displaymath141

      so that F = a - bmv .

      Interpreting this as the force on a ball dropping through viscous fluid gives a = -mg (constant gravitational force, taking our axis pointing upward and g to be positive). Part (a) gives us the terminal velocity

      displaymath149

      so we interpret our physical force as

      displaymath151

    1. For velocity-dependent force, we can use the integral equation

      displaymath153

      Here tex2html_wrap_inline155 so the integral gives

      displaymath157

      which we invert to obtain

      displaymath159

      Integrating and applying the initial condition x(0) = 0 gives tex2html_wrap_inline163

      Rearranging then exponentiating both sides gives tex2html_wrap_inline165 , so we get

      displaymath167

    2. We could rearrange Newton's second law to directly relate variables v and x, by exploiting the chain rule for assumed solution v(x):

      displaymath175

      Thus Newton II

      displaymath177

      becomes

      displaymath179

      Both sides of this equation depend only on a single variable, so we can sensibly integrate them from the beginning of the motion to its current state:

      displaymath181

      Exponentiating both sides we can solve for v(x):

      displaymath185

      as in (b).

    3. Note that this result, tex2html_wrap_inline187 comes to rest ( tex2html_wrap_inline189 ) only in the infinite limit tex2html_wrap_inline191 . From our expression from part (a) for x(t), tex2html_wrap_inline191 only in the asymptotic limit, tex2html_wrap_inline197 .

    1. We're given tex2html_wrap_inline199 , and asked to find F(x). Since tex2html_wrap_inline203 , we find it by differentiating, using the chain rule to convert x-derivatives to time derivatives:

      displaymath207

      Substituting our original expression for tex2html_wrap_inline209 back in gives F(x):

      displaymath213

    2. To find x(t), we can rearrange our expressions for tex2html_wrap_inline209 , grouping x-dependence and t-dependence on their own sides of the equation:

      displaymath223

      Integrating both sides, and using our initial conditions to set integration constants,

      displaymath225

      or, solving for x,

      displaymath229

    3. To find F(t), we can just substitute our expression for x(t) into F(x):

      displaymath237




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Next: About this document

Katherine Benson
Tue Jan 29 12:07:43 EST 2002