PHY105: Assignment 3

Instructor: Tobias Toll

August 29
Submit programs files (soft copies) by Friday September 2,
via email to tobias.toll@snu.edu.in, and rs190@snu.edu.in
Create programs using Python 3.x using any editor e.g. Spyder.
Name your files thus: (your-name)_assignment(number)_prob(number).py.
Example: Sushmita will save her assignment 1, problem 2, as
Sushmita_assigment1_prob2.py

1. Given the Taylor expantion of a function f(x):

write a program with a function which returns the derivative of any function f(x), at a point x, with a
given precision h, which is accurate to order everywhere, except at its borders where it has an
accuracy of .

Use the program to derivate the function:

a) at x=1, and find for which value of h, the derivative reaches a precision of 0.1%.
b) at x=0, and find for which value of h, the derivative reaches a precision of 0.1%.

Hint: You may have to write the functions f(x) as well. Precision can be seen as
in practice is not known, so one may compare f' at different values of h.

2. Improve the integration function in your module, import it in a program and use it to:
a) Calculate the derivative of at x=1, and x=0.

b) Integrate the function for and

both at a precision of 5%.

Continued on next page...

2. Two sandbags are hanging in a frictionless Atwood's machine, connected by a friction-less string, as
in the figure:

As you may have learned in physics class, the acceleration of the sandbag #2 is

Also, the acceleration is the time derivative of the velocity:

which means that the velocity is an integral over the acceleration:

Problem: At time t=0, the sandbags are at rest. At this point in time, kg, and kg.
Both sandbags are leaking. Bag #1 is leaking at a rate of 10 g/s, and bag #2 is leaking at a rate 300 g/s.
What velocity will the bags have after 10 seconds? After 1.5 minutes?