MedVision ad

Very easy Mechanics Question PLEASE HELP!! (1 Viewer)

kman16

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
Messages
45
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
okay now this is a very simple question, yet i feel like killing someone because im not getting the answer out.
Q: A particle moves in a straight line away from a fixed point O in the line, such that at time t its displacement from O is x and its velocity is v. At time t=0, x=0, v=V. Subsequently the particle is slowing down at a rate proportional to the square of its speed. Find an expression for the velocity v in terms of displacement x.

What i did was v.dv/dx = -kv^2
and then work from there... i ended up with v = e^-kx + V

PLEASE HELP ME AS IM NOT SURE WHAT I DID WRONG!! D:

Thanks :)
 
Last edited:

pokka

d'ohnuts
Joined
Nov 4, 2011
Messages
312
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
okay now this is a very simple question, yet i feel like killing someone because im not getting the answer out.
Q: A particle moves in a straight line away from a fixed point O in the line, such that at time t its displacement from O is x and its velocity is v. At time t=0, x=0, v=V. Subsequently the particle is slowing down at a rate proportional to the square of its speed. Find an expression for the velocity v in terms of displacement x.
What i did was v.dv/dx = -kv^2
and then work from there... i ended up with v = e^-kt + V

PLEASE HELP ME AS IM NOT SURE WHAT I DID WRONG!! D:

Thanks :)
The question did not ask for an equation involving "t" so you should NOT include it at all. When you come to step after integrating and have to find the constant C, only use the x and v conditions (NOT "t").
 

kman16

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
Messages
45
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
The question did not ask for an equation involving "t" so you should NOT include it at all. When you come to step after integrating and have to find the constant C, only use the x and v conditions (NOT "t").
i made a mistake... i came up with: v = e^-kx + V
lol sorry
 

pokka

d'ohnuts
Joined
Nov 4, 2011
Messages
312
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
you should have this step in your working out: so when you exponentiate everything to find v, you have: Now that expression should not be equal to so check your working out from there.
 

kman16

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
Messages
45
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
thank you so much... straight away i can see what i did wrong :eek:
i got to that step and then exponentiated each term instead of each side *facepalm durpetydurp
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top