Physics Challenges for

Teachers and Students

Solutions to April 2004 Challenges
Awesome Oscillations dv d 2y
Challenge: A heavy block is attached to the ceiling by a mg ky CB2L2

= m

.
spring that has a force constant k. A conducting rod is dt dt2
attached to the block. The combined mass of the block and mg
the rod is m. The rod can slide without friction along two
Transforming to the new variable u = y


k in
allows the equation of motion to be written
vertical parallel rails, which are a distance l apart. A capaci-
tor of known capacitance C is attached to the rails by the the form
wires. The entire system is placed in a uniform magnetic
field B directed as shown. Find the period T of the vertical d 2u k
oscillations of the block. Neglect the electrical resistance of

+

u = 0.
the rod and all wires.
dt 2 m + CB2L2
This is the familiar simple harmonic motion
equation with angular frequency

=


m+CkB

 
2L2
and so the period of

oscillation is

k

.
m+CB L 2 2
T = 2

(Contributed by Michael Threapleton, Mesabi

Range College, Virginia, MN)
Using the Surplus
Challenge: In the circuit shown below, all three voltmeters
are ideal and identical. Each resistor has the same given
Solution: Let the mass have descended a dis- resistance R. Voltage V is also given. Find the reading of
tance y and be at speed v. The changing mag- each voltmeter.
netic flux through the circuit loop leads to a
Faraday emf BLv. This emf is related to the
charge on the capacitor as
q = CBLv.
Differentiating with respect to time gives the
current in the loop
dv
I = CBL

.
dt
The magnetic force on the current carrying bar
(upward if the bar is descending) is given by
dv Solution: We assume the voltmeters are ideal
Fmag = BIL = CB2L2

. and no current passes through them. Then
dt
The net downward force on the bar and points 1 and 2 are at potential V/3 and point 3
Newtons second law of motion gives is at potential 2V/3.

2 THE PHYSICS TEACHER Vol. 42, May 2004

 We can then model the voltmeters in one of
the following ways.
(a) Each voltmeter is represented by a capacitor.
The voltage across the capacitor network is
V = V/3. The total capacitance is C. Each
capacitor has capacitance C. 1/C = 1/C +
1/(2C). C = 2C/3.
Q = V C  = 2VC/9 is the magnitude of the
charge of this network.
V3 = Q/C = 2V/9, V2 = V1 = Q/(2C) = V/9.
(b) Each voltmeter is represented by a resistor r
with r .
The voltage across the resistor network is V  =
V/3. The total resistance is r . Each resistor has
resistance r. So r = r + r/2, r = 3r/2.
I = V /r  = V/(3r ) = 2V/(9r) is the magnitude
of the (very small) current through the net-
work.
Then V3 = Ir = 2V/9, V2 = V1 = Ir/2 = V/9.
(Contributed by Marianne Breinig, The
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN)
What a Waste!
Challenge: Find the maximum power of a heating element
that can be constructed from a piece of wire that has a
resistance of 536 . The element is to be powered by a
constant voltage of V = 110 V. The current through the
wire cannot exceed 2.0 A.
THE PHYSICS TEACHER Vol. 42, May 2004
Solution: The heating element will consist of
several segments of wire connected in parallel.
For maximum heating power, each segment
must carry the greatest possible current, which is
2.0 A. Therefore the resistance of each segment
must be 110 V/2.0 A = 55 . Since 536/55 =
9.74, we can only use nine segments. Each seg-
ment will have length = (55/536)L, where L =
the original length of the wire. (The tenth piece
will be too short and must be discarded.) The
heating power will then be 9  110 V  2.0 A
= 1980 W.
(Contributed by Art Hovey, Milford, CT)
Several other readers also sent us correct solutions to
the April Challenges. We would like to recognize the
following contributors:
John Bryner (retired)
John F. Goehl Jr. (Barry University, Miami Shores, FL)
Gerald E. Hite (TAMUG, Galveston, TX)
Mark Lenfestey (Elkhart Central High School, White
Pigeon, MI)
Eugene P. Mosca (U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis,
MD)
Carl E. Mungan (U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis,
MD)
John Spokas (Benedictine University, Lisle, IL)
Leo H. van den Raadt (Heemstede, The Netherlands)
We appreciate your submissions and hope to receive
more solutions in the future.
Note to contributors: as the number of submissions
grows, we request that certain guidelines be observed,
in order to facilitate the process more efficiently:
please email the solutions as Word files;
please name the file May04HPotter iffor
instance your name is Harry Potter, and you are
sending the solutions to May 2004 Challenges;
please state your name, hometown and professional
affiliation in the file, not only in the email message.
Many thanks!
Please send correspondence to:
Boris Korsunsky
444 Wellesley St.
Weston, MA 02493-2631
korsunbo@post.harvard.edu
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