How does the fact that the band weighs .8 lb/ft play into your solution? I thought it would factor into the change in potential of the system (my system was band and wheel), but I got stuck. I did not see it mentioned in your solution.
[Link to the solution in question. CMK]
1 comment:
You are more observant than I; I missed seeing the statement of the weight/length of the band. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
You are correct; the weight of the band figures into the potential energy of the system. You will need to determine the change in potential energy of the band in going from position 1 to position 2.
In addition, the band adds to the kinetic energy of the system. At position 2, we have two distinct types of motion for the band. The straight portion of the band (the part that is not wrapped around the wheel) is in pure translation. The portion of the band that is wrapped around the wheel has both translational and rotational kinetic energy (much the same as with the wheel).
Add a comment to this post on how you would go about calculating the kinetic energy of the band based on the above observations. If comments are added, I will post a correction to this solution later on. In the meantime, let's see what we can do on our own.
Let me know if you have any questions on this as you figure out this addition to the kinetic energy.
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