=====Beating the Train=====
====Activity Description====
===Learning Goals===
* Use Newton's 2nd Law to accurately predict changes in motion of macroscopic objects ([[https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/hs-ps2-1-motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions | HS-PS2-1]])
* Use kinematic equations to determine the necessary acceleration to move an object
*a certain distance
*for a certain amount of time
===Prior Knowledge Required===
* Units
* Kinematic Equations
* Newton's 2nd Law of Motion
* $F=ma$
===Code Manipulation===
* Modify existing code
* [[colliding_crates|Colliding Crates]]
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====Activity====
===Handout===
{{ :repository:beating_the_train1.png?nolink&600|}}
**Beating the Train**\\
A train is approaching a crossing, traveling at a constant velocity if 15 m/s to the east. You are on an afternoon ride on your motorcycle when you get stopped at a stoplight 50 m south of the crossing. At the instant the light turns green, the train is 90 m west of the crossing. Your mass, including the motorcycle, is 400 kg
- Determine the amount of time required for the train to reach the crossing.
- Using the time found in #1, determine the minimum acceleration required for you and your motorcycle to beat the train and safely cross to the other side.
- Given a frictional force of 100 N that opposes you as you accelerate to the train crossing, what is the minimum force exerted by the motorcycle that is necessary to miss the train?
- Modify the [[https://www.glowscript.org/#/user/kstedman/folder/Public/program/CollidingCars| Colliding Crates]] program to fit this scenario.
===Code===
[[https://www.glowscript.org/#/user/porcaro1/folder/RepositoryPrograms/program/BeatingtheTrain-Incomplete| Link]]
GlowScript 2.7 VPython
#Creating the objects
floor = box(pos=vector(0,-30,0), size=vector(100,4,12), color=color.white) #I've created the floor that the crate will slide across
crate = box(pos=vector(0,0,0), size=vector(20,20,5), color=color.red) #I've created the crate, along with its dimensions and initial position resting on the floor
#Setting the time interval
t=0 #I've set the initial time to zero.
tf=0.940 #I've set the final time to 0, which gives the crate enough time to slide across the floor
dt=0.01 #I want my time interval set at 1/100th of a time unit
#Creates velocity vectors as a function of time
get_library('https://rawgit.com/perlatmsu/physutil/master/js/physutil.js') #The program needed to know what a motion map is defined as
motionMap = MotionMap(crate, tf, 5, markerScale=0.1) #I want to display 5 arrows showing the motion of the crate
#Giving the objects an initial velocity
cratev=vector(75,0,0) #I'm defining the constant velocity of my crate to be 75 in the x-direction(left to right)
while crate.pos.x<35: #I want the crate to stop before it slides off the floor
rate(50) #This rate can speed up or slow down the replay
crate.pos=crate.pos+cratev*dt #I'm moving the crate by adding the change in position (cratev*dt) to the previous position (crate.pos)
t=t+dt #I'm updating the time
#This updates the velocity vectors
motionMap.update(t,cratev) #This updates the motion map and display of the arrows as the crate slides across the floor
#This creates the graph of the kinetic energy of the crate
#f1 = gcurve(color=color.blue) #Setting up a graph to show the kinetic energy of the crate as a function of time
#for t in arange(0, 0.94, 0.01): # Time goes from 0 to 0.94 in 0.01 time intervals
# f1.plot(pos=(t,cratev.mag**2))
----
====Answer Key====
===Handout===
{{ :repository:beating_the_train2.png?nolink&600|}}
- To find the time it will take for the train to reach the crossing, divide the distance between the train and the crossing by the velocity of the train:
- $t=\dfrac{90\text{m}}{15\text{m/s}}=6\text{s}$
- We can use the following kinematic equation to solve for the minimum acceleration required to beat the train: $x=x_{0}+v_{0}t+\dfrac{1}{2}at^2$
- where:
- $x$ is your final position
- You must travel 50 m
- $x_{0}$ is your initial position
- We can assume we start at 0 m
- $v_{0}$ is your initial velocity
- you start from rest, so $v_{0}=0$ m/s
- $a$ is your acceleration
- We will solve for this
- $t$ is the time you have to beat the train
- We just calculated this to be 6 seconds
- Rearranging to solve for acceleration:
- $a=\dfrac{2(x-x_{0}-v_{0}t)}{t^2}$
- Plugging in our known values:
- $a=\dfrac{2(50\text{m}-0\text{m}-0\text{m/s}*6\text{s})}{(6\text{s})^2}=\dfrac{100\text{m}}{36\text{s}^2}=2.78\text{m/s²}$
- To find out the minimum force your motorcycle must exert, we must first create a free body diagram. From this diagram, we know that the sum of the frictional force $F_{f}$ and the force of your motorcycle $F_{m}$ must be equal to the total mass of you and the motorcycle (400 kg) multiplied by the acceleration we just calculated (2.78 m/s²). Mathematically, this looks like:
- $F_{f}+F_{m}=ma$
- Solving for the force of your motorcycle:
- $F_{m}=ma-F_{f}$
- Plugging in our known values:
- $F_{m}=400\text{kg}*2.78\text{m/s²}-(-100\text{N})=1212\text{N}$
- Note that $F_{f}$ is negative because it points in the negative y-direction. This is determined from your free body diagram
- See below
===Code===
[[https://www.glowscript.org/#/user/porcaro1/folder/RepositoryPrograms/program/BeatingtheTrain-Solution | Link]]
GlowScript 2.7 VPython
#Creating the objects
train = box(pos=vector(-100,-5,0), size=vector(20,5,8), color=color.red) #I've created the crate, along with its dimensions and initial position resting on the floor
cycle = box(pos=vector(0,-51,0), size=vector(2,2,2), color=color.white)
#Setting the time interval
t=0 #I've set the initial time to zero.
dt=0.01 #I want my time interval set at 1/100th of a time unit
#Creates velocity vectors as a function of time
get_library('https://rawgit.com/perlatmsu/physutil/master/js/physutil.js') #The program needed to know what a motion map is defined as
#motionMap1 = MotionMap(crate1, tf, 5, markerScale=0.1) #I want to display 5 arrows showing the motion of the crate
#motionMap2 = MotionMap(crate2, tf, 5, markerScale=0.1)
#Giving the objects an initial velocity
trainv=vector(15,0,0) #I'm defining the constant velocity of my crate to be 75 in the x-direction(left to right)
cyclev=vector(0,0,0)
cycleacc=vec(0,2.78,0)
while cycle.pos.y<=10: #I want the crate to stop before it slides off the floor
rate(100) #This rate can speed up or slow down the replay
train.pos=train.pos+trainv*dt #I'm moving the crate by adding the change in position (cratev*dt) to the previous position (crate.pos)
cyclev=cyclev + cycleacc*dt
cycle.pos=cycle.pos+cyclev*dt
t=t+dt #I'm updating the time
#This updates the velocity vectors
#motionMap1.update(t,crate1v) #This updates the motion map and display of the arrows as the crate slides across the floor
#motionMap2.update(t,crate2v)
#This creates the graph of the kinetic energy of the crate
#f1 = gcurve(color=color.blue) #Setting up a graph to show the kinetic energy of the crate as a function of time
#for t in arange(0, 0.94, 0.01): # Time goes from 0 to 0.94 in 0.01 time intervals
# f1.plot(pos=(t,crate1v.mag**2)) # plot time vs. kinetic energy of the crate
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====See Also====
* [[terminal_velocity | Terminal Velocity]]