Physics Challenges for Teachers and Students

Solutions to April 2004 Challenges Awesome Oscillations

Challenge: A heavy block is attached to the ceiling by a spring that has a force constant k. A conducting rod is attached to the block. The combined mass of the block and the rod is m. The rod can slide without friction along two vertical parallel rails, which are a distance l apart. A capacitor of known capacitance C is attached to the rails by the wires. The entire system is placed in a uniform magnetic field B directed as shown. Find the period T of the vertical oscillations of the block. Neglect the electrical resistance of the rod and all wires.

dv d 2y mg ky CB2L2 = m . dt dt2

Transforming to the new variable u = y k in allows the equation of motion to be written the form d 2u k u = 0. + dt 2 m + CB2L2 This is the familiar simple harmonic motion equation with angular frequency

mg

k m+CB2L2

and so the period of

oscillation is T = 2 m+CB L k .
2 2

(Contributed by Michael Threapleton, Mesabi Range College, Virginia, MN)

Using the Surplus

Solution: Let the mass have descended a distance y and be at speed v. The changing magnetic flux through the circuit loop leads to a Faraday emf BLv. This emf is related to the charge on the capacitor as q = CBLv. Differentiating with respect to time gives the current in the loop dv I = CBL. dt The magnetic force on the current carrying bar (upward if the bar is descending) is given by dv Fmag = BIL = CB2L2 . dt The net downward force on the bar and Newtons second law of motion gives Solution: We assume the voltmeters are ideal and no current passes through them. Then points 1 and 2 are at potential V/3 and point 3 is at potential 2V/3.
Challenge: In the circuit shown below, all three voltmeters are ideal and identical. Each resistor has the same given resistance R. Voltage V is also given. Find the reading of each voltmeter.

THE PHYSICS TEACHER Vol. 42, May 2004

We can then model the voltmeters in one of the following ways. (a) Each voltmeter is represented by a capacitor.

The voltage across the capacitor network is V = V/3. The total capacitance is C . Each capacitor has capacitance C. 1/C = 1/C + 1/(2C). C = 2C/3. Q = V C = 2VC/9 is the magnitude of the charge of this network. V3 = Q/C = 2V/9, V2 = V1 = Q/(2C) = V/9. (b) Each voltmeter is represented by a resistor r with r .

Solution: The heating element will consist of several segments of wire connected in parallel. For maximum heating power, each segment must carry the greatest possible current, which is 2.0 A. Therefore the resistance of each segment must be 110 V/2.0 A = 55 . Since 536/55 = 9.74, we can only use nine segments. Each segment will have length = (55/536)L, where L = the original length of the wire. (The tenth piece will be too short and must be discarded.) The heating power will then be 9 110 V 2.0 A = 1980 W. (Contributed by Art Hovey, Milford, CT)

Several other readers also sent us correct solutions to the April Challenges. We would like to recognize the following contributors: John Bryner (retired) John F. Goehl Jr. (Barry University, Miami Shores, FL) Gerald E. Hite (TAMUG, Galveston, TX) Mark Lenfestey (Elkhart Central High School, White Pigeon, MI) Eugene P. Mosca (U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD) Carl E. Mungan (U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD) John Spokas (Benedictine University, Lisle, IL) Leo H. van den Raadt (Heemstede, The Netherlands) We appreciate your submissions and hope to receive more solutions in the future. Note to contributors: as the number of submissions grows, we request that certain guidelines be observed, in order to facilitate the process more efficiently: please email the solutions as Word files; please name the file May04HPotter iffor instance your name is Harry Potter, and you are sending the solutions to May 2004 Challenges; please state your name, hometown and professional affiliation in the file, not only in the email message. Many thanks!
Please send correspondence to: Boris Korsunsky 444 Wellesley St. Weston, MA 02493-2631

The voltage across the resistor network is V = V/3. The total resistance is r . Each resistor has resistance r. So r = r + r/2, r = 3r/2. I = V /r = V/(3r ) = 2V/(9r) is the magnitude of the (very small) current through the network. Then V3 = Ir = 2V/9, V2 = V1 = Ir/2 = V/9. (Contributed by Marianne Breinig, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN)

What a Waste!
Challenge: Find the maximum power of a heating element that can be constructed from a piece of wire that has a resistance of 536 . The element is to be powered by a constant voltage of V = 110 V. The current through the wire cannot exceed 2.0 A.

korsunbo@post.harvard.edu

THE PHYSICS TEACHER Vol. 42, May 2004