74 Chapter 2 Projectiles and Charged Particles

2.9 * We solved the differential equation (2.29), mi,y = —b(vy — vmr), for the velocity of an object
falling through air, by inspection — a most respectable way of solving differential equations. Never-
theless, one would sometimes like a more systematic method, and here is one. Rewrite the equation in
the "separated" form

m dv Y
—b dt
Vy Vter

and integrate both sides from time 0 to t to find vy as a function of t. Compare with (2.30).

2.10 ** For a steel ball bearing (diameter 2 mm and density 7.8 g/cm 3) dropped in glycerin (density
1.3 g/cm3 and viscosity 12 N•s/m2 at STP), the dominant drag force is the linear drag given by (2.82)
of Problem 2.2. (a) Find the characteristic time t and the terminal speed v t„. [In finding the latter,
you should include the buoyant force of Archimedes. This just adds a third force on the right side of
Equation (2.25).] How long after it is dropped from rest will the ball bearing have reached 95% of its
terminal speed? (b) Use (2.82) and (2.84) (with K = 1/4 since the ball bearing is a sphere) to compute
the ratio Jequadi, at the terminal speed. Was it a good approximation to neglect fquad ?
J

2.11 ** Consider an object that is thrown vertically up with initial speed v o in a linear medium.
(a) Measuring y upward from the point of release, write expressions for the object's velocity v y (t)
and position y(t). (b) Find the time for the object to reach its highest point and its position y max at that
point. (c) Show that as the drag coefficient approaches zero, your last answer reduces to the well-known
result ymax = zvo2 /g for an object in the vacuum. [Hint: If the drag force is very small, the terminal
speed is very big, so v o/vm, is very small. Use the Taylor series for the log function to approximate
ln(1 3) by 3 — Z 3 2 . (For a little more on Taylor series see Problem 2.18.)]

2.12 ** Problem 2.7 is about a class of one-dimensional problems that can always be reduced to doing
an integral. Here is another. Show that if the net force on a one-dimensional particle depends only on
position, F = F(x), then Newton's second law can be solved to find v as a function of x given by

2 2 2 x
V = V0 + — F(x') dx' . (2.85)
fx,
[Hint: Use the chain rule to prove the following handy relation, which we could call the "v dv I dx rule":
If you regard v as a function of x, then

dv 1 dv 2
=v—= (2.86)
dx 2 dx

Use this to rewrite Newton's second law in the separated form m d(v 2) = 2F (x) dx and then
integrate from x o to x.] Comment on your result for the case that F(x) is actually a constant. (You
may recognise your solution as a statement about kinetic energy and work, both of which we shall be
discussing in Chapter 4.)

2.13 ** Consider a mass m constrained to move on the x axis and subject to a net force F = —kx where
k is a positive constant. The mass is released from rest at x = x0 at time t = 0. Use the result (2.85)
in Problem 2.12 to find the mass's speed as a function of x; that is, dx I dt = g(x) for some function
g(x). Separate this as dx I g(x) = dt and integrate from time 0 to t to find x as a function of t. (You
may recognize this as one way — not the easiest — to solve the simple harmonic oscillator.)

2.14 *** Use the method of Problem 2.7 to solve the following: A mass m is constrained to move along
the x axis subject to a force F (v) = —Foe" I V , where Fo and V are constants. (a) Find v(t) if the initial