Date of Award
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Natural Sciences
First Advisor
Colladay, Donald
Area of Concentration
Physics with Mathematics Secondary Field
Abstract
We develop a pedagogical framework for treating variable mass systems in classical mechanics with the aim of explaining the difference between two rope systems: a rope sliding off a table versus falling from a coil. We have seen that energy is conserved in the former, but not the latter, and we explore this difference in several ways. We explicitly solve for the dynamics of both systems using energy conservation and momentum analysis before employing the Cauchy continuum equation to explore discontinuities in tension profiles as a source of inelasticity, leading us to explicitly compute the energy loss in the second system. Finally, we examine the presence of time-reversal symmetry in the context of elastic and inelastic processes.
Recommended Citation
Kienzle, Micah, "APPLICATIONS OF NEWTON'S LAWS TO VARIABLE MASS SYSTEMS" (2023). Theses & ETDs. 6381.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/6381