Thread: Physics Stumper

Heres a physics senario that stumped me for a while.


Imagine a typical physics, 'frictionless' cart track.


Now, lets spice things up. Handles are limitlessly bound perpendicularly to the centers of each cart. However, the carts can move separately from their handles and like springs, the farther they are from their handle, the stronger the pull back to (equilibrium) their handle is.

Each cart has two important properties, their position in regards to x (we dont care about y (for now), because we are on a flat, linear track), and their handle spring constant. Handles will be stationary where ever they are set, so the only things moving will be the carts trying to regain equilibrium.

Now, derive a series of equations to properly describe this model when the carts interact with one another due to their handles being placed within each others domain. Your series of equations should yield the x coordinates in which the carts find equilibrium .


In an example, we have 3 carts: A[3], B[2], C[1]. All placed in order on the track with the correlating spring constants in brackets. All of their handles are placed at the exact same x coordinate and the carts are released to pound away. Find the x coordinate at which each cart find equilibrium.



ignore the periods, the forums are being a bitch atm.


.............__|__
handle \/ |cart|
.......----|..... |
.............------
................|
.....track-->|



HINT :: SPOILER :::

Ill quote the spoiler, so the legit guys dont have it given away.
If you get stumped, focus on the equation for a spring. We are only interested in the cart's x position. Even drop things down to, two carts.

7..



Give me true false...Im better at true false....

Easy.

42.

I know I am wrong, being 2:30 in the morning and all, but I think there is a variable missing.

I'll tackle it tomorrow.

confused as hell, the way i was reading it I was think pendulum, I think I am just not following you.