Problem 1.

[Difficulty: 2]

Given:

Small particle accelerating from rest in a fluid. Net weight is W, resisting force is FD = kV, where V is speed.

FD = kV Particle y W

Find: Solution:

Distance required to reach 95 percent of terminal speed, Vt. Consider the particle to be a system. Apply Newton's second law.

Basic equation: Fy = may Assumptions: 1. 2. W is net weight. Resisting force acts opposite to V.

Then,

= W kV = ma y = m dV dt =
W k

W g

V dV dy

or
V Vg

k 1 W V=
1 =g V dV dy

V dV g dy

At terminal speed, ay = 0 and V = Vt =

. Then 1

Separating variables

V dV = g dy 1 1 V V t

Integrating, noting that velocity is zero initially

gy =

0.95Vt

V V dV = VVt Vt 2 ln 1 1 Vt 1 V Vt

0.95Vt

gy = 0.95Vt 2 Vt 2 ln (1 0.95) Vt 2 ln (1) gy = Vt 2 [ 0.95 + ln 0.05] = 2.05 Vt 2 y = 2.05 2 W2 Vt = 2.05 2 g gt