[Math] How to calculate this particle’s position, velocity and acceleration, each as functions of time.

classical-mechanics

I'm given a particle of mass $m$, at position $x$, moving through 1-space dimenion with velocity $v=\gamma(d-x)$ for constant $\gamma, d.$

I'm also given that the particle starts from $x=0$ at $t=0$.

My question is: how do I find the velocity (and position and acceleration) as a function of time?
I know it will involve $\displaystyle v=\frac{dx}{dt}=\frac{dx}{dv}\times\frac{dv}{dt}$, but I don't know $v(t)$ as a function of $t$.

Best Answer

Is it not the case that

$v = \dfrac{dx}{dt}? \tag{1}$

I think it is; based on this hypothesis, we have

$\dfrac{dx}{dt} = \gamma(d - x), \tag{2}$

which is easy to solve; (2) may be written

$\dfrac{1}{(d - x)} \dfrac{dx}{dt} = \gamma, \tag{3}$

or

$\dfrac{1}{(x - d)} \dfrac{dx}{dt} = - \gamma. \tag{4}$

(4) in turn may be written

$\dfrac{d \ln(x - d)}{dt} = -\gamma. \tag{5}$

We can directly integrate (5):

$\int_{t_0}^t (\dfrac{d \ln(x -d)}{dt}) dt = \int_{t_0}^t (-\gamma) dt, \tag{6}$

yielding

$\ln(x - d) - \ln(x_0 - d) = -\gamma(t - t_0), \tag{7}$

or

$\ln(\dfrac{(x -d)}{(x_0 - d)}) = -\gamma(t - t_0), \tag{8}$

or

$x - d = (x_0 - d)e^{-\gamma(t - t_0)}, \tag{9}$

or finally

$x = (x_0 - d)e^{-\gamma(t - t_0)} + d. \tag{10}$

It is easily checked by direct differentiation that (10) satisfies (2) with initial conditions $x = x_0$ at $ t = t_0$. The specific solution with $ x = 0$ at $t = 0$ is thus

$x = d(1 - e^{- \gamma t}), \tag{11}$

and the velocity at time $t$ is thus

$v = \dfrac{dx}{dt} = \gamma d e^{-\gamma t}; \tag{12}$

the acceleration a is then

$a = \dfrac{dv}{dt} = -\gamma^2 d e^{- \gamma t}. \tag{13}$

We note that since the velocity $v$ is given as a function of position, the mass $m$ needn't, and indeed doesn't, enter into our calculations.

Hope this helps. Cheerio,

and as always,

Fiat Lux!!!

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