Example: The Ballistic Pendulum

A ballistic pendulum is a device used to measure the speed of a projectile.

As a result of the collision the pendulum-projectile system start swinging.
Find the relation between the speed of the projectile and the maximum
height the pendulum reaches.

M m

before collision after

Part I Collision Conservation momentum only

Part II Swinging Conservation energy only

Note: because of gravity
Fext non zero. P is not conserved
 What happens if the pendulum is made of an empty box, and the projectile
comes out with ½ of its initial velocity? How high will the block swing?

In this case you ‘ll need to write a separate eq. for the final momentum of the bullet and block

In this case you only need the conservation of energy for the block.
 Systems of variable mass
Beginning Tot. system
u v v + dv
dM
M M+dM

dP = (M+dM) (v+dv) – Mv – dM u = Mv +dM v + dM dv – Mv – dM u + Mdv

Σ Fext = dP = v dM - u dM + dv dM + M dv
dt dt dt dt dt

Σ Fext = v dM - u dM + M dv = (v – u) dM + M dv
dt dt dt dt dt

Σ Fext= M dv -(u – v) dM M dv = Σ Fext + vrel

dM
dt dt
dt dt
vrel of dM with respect to M
Example of Rocket
Find the velocity of a rocket of mass M, after it had emitted v
some gas. Assume that the fuel is burnt at constant rate, R.

vrel = velocity of exhausting gas vrel

This term is called the thrust of the
rocket. Can be interpreted as an
additional force on the rocket due
to gas expulsion (in the direction of
motion)

Projecting this vector equation along the direction of v (tangent to the path)
Example A rocket of mass mR = 2500 kg is accelerated at 3.0g at take off
from the Earth. If the gas can be ejected at a rate of 30kg/s
what is its exhaust speed?

dM dM
Fext + vrel = Ma -Mg + vrel = M (3g)
dt dt

vrel ~ 3.3 x 103 m/s

Example A cart of mass mc = 14000kg is rolling horizontally with vc=4m/s.
As it passes by a grain elevator, 2000 gr of grain are suddenly
dropped into the car. If d = 500 m is the distance from
the elevator to the switch yard, how long does it take to the cart
to cover this distance?

Note: Momentum is conserved along the x-direction

because there are no external force along x.
d

The time for the car to travel is: ∆t = d / vF

We can find vF from conservation of momentum

(mc + mg) vF = mcvi + mg (0) vF = mc / (mc + mg) vi vF =3.5m/s

∆t = d (mc + mg) / mc vi ∆t = 143 s

Note: Mechanical energy is conserved in thermal energy

E0= ½ mc vc2 + Ki grain = 14KJ Ef =Kf= ½ (mc + mg) vf2 = 98KJ
Ki < Kf
Example A uniform rope of mass M and length L is held with its lower end
just touching the surface of a scale. The rope is released and
begins to fall with constant velocity. Find the force F on
the scale on the rope as L/2 of the rope touch the scale.

Start
L

End
L/2
L/2
 Example: Two blocks of mass 3kg each are on a car. Beginning from rest
the driver of the car (neglect his mass) throws the weight horizontally one
at a time. The speed of each weight relative to him is vWC. Calculate how
his velocity will change after he has thrown the first and the second weight.

Part 1: Throw first weight

Initial velocity car

Final velocity car

relative to car
relative to car

car
 car

Part 2: Throw second weight

Solve as part 1. In this case you start with a car + weight and the final
system is only the car.
 Impulse
Let’s look at the How can we describe
collision between it in terms of force?
two particles
Variable force, max at
moment of collision

F Fmax

ession

exp
t2

compr

ans
J= Fnet dt

ion
t
t1

J is the area under the F(t) curve!

Contact begins Contact ends
 Impulse
From Newton’s 2nd law:
p2 t2

dp dp = Fnet dt integrate dp = Fnet dt

= Fnet
dt p1 t1

t2
Definition
t2
∆p = Fnet dt
Impulse = J = Fnet dt
t1
t1

[J] = [ N sec] Measure the change in momentum

Impulse-Momentum Theorem Tells us that we don’t need to

know all the details of F(t) to
∆p = J know the velocity of an object
Case: F = constant or Faverage
t2

J= Fnet dt
t1

J = Faverage ∆t
Example:
vf
1) Find impulse of the force exerted on a ball
of mass m.
θ 2) Assuming the collision lasts for ∆t = 1.5 ms,
v0 what is the average force?
3) Find the change in the momentum of the
bat.
 Center of Mass
Show demo in class
So far we assumed that any extended body can be approximated as a point
that undergoes only translational motion.

But in real life any object undergoes

both rotation and translation.

Is this wrong?

We can always find a point whose motion is only a translation and

moves in the same path as a particle: CENTER of MASS (CM)

Newton’s second law for a system of particles
The center of mass of a body or a system of bodies moves as
though all of the mass were concentrated there and all external
forces were applied there.

MaCM = ∑ Fext

Motion of CM

We can treat the translational motion of any body or system

of bodies as the motion of a particle!

Note: Internal forces cancel each other because of Newton’s third law
 How to determine the CM? 1D case
System of two masses
Definition

m1x1 + m2x2 0
x1 x2
xCM =
m1 + m2

CM
Case I
m1 = m2 0
x1 x2

m1x1 + m2x2 m (x1 + x2 ) (x1 + x2 ) d

xCM = = = =
m1 + m2 2m 2 2

The CM coincides with the geometrical center

 CM
Case II
m1 > m2 0
x1 x2

m1x1 + m2x2 m1 (x1 + x2 m2 / m1)

xCM = xCM = ~ x1
m1 + m2 m1 (1+ m2 / m1)

In the extreme case m2=0

xCM closer to m1
xCM = x1

CM
Case III
m1 < m2 0
x1 x2
m1x1 + m2x2 xCM closer to m2
xCM =
m1 + m2 In the extreme case m1=0
xCM = x2
 n
For a system of n particles: ∑ mixi
i =1
xCM =
M = tot mass system M

CM in more than 1D
For each component
n n n
∑ miri ∑ mixi ∑ miyi
i =1 i =1 i =1
rCM = xCM = yCM =
M M M

mO = 16u H mH = 1u
Example : Find the CM of H2O molecule O α = 52.2ο
We can find first the CM
H
H
of the two H atoms CM CM (H2O)
2mH mO = 16u 2mH
and then the CM of (2H) O
with the O H CM
 CM for a solid body
∆m
1) Divide it in n infinitesimal masses, dm
2) Calculate the CM for the new system n masses

n
∑ ∆miri
i =1 r dm r dm
rCM = rCM =
M ∆mi 0 M M

Center of gravity
In a similar way we can define the CENTER of GRAVITY
as the point where gravity can be cosidered to act.
In a system with constant g: CM = CG
 Example with CM
A wedge of mass m2 and a block of mass m1 are on a balance.
m1 When the block is released it slides down on the wedge.
m2 Find the reading of the scale