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When a piece of iron is picked up by a permanent magnet does it accelerate towards the magnet? If so at what acceleration?

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Type: Question • Score: 1 • Views: 654 • Replies: 16

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42 kilojouls.

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@McGentrix,

How did you get that figure? I thought acceleration would be in metres per second squared.

0 Replies

@magnocrat,

Assuming the iron starts from a rest state, any movement would be acceleration. The rate of acceleration would depend on the strength of the magnet, the distance and the mass of the iron. Need more info.

1 Reply

@FBM,

Thanks you triggered an interesting thought all motion has to start with acceleration.

1 Reply

@magnocrat,

You're welcome. Keep in mind that acceleration and rate of acceleration aren't quite the same thing. I hope that helps. Smile

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@FBM,

Quote:

Keep in mind that acceleration and rate of acceleration aren't quite the same thing. I hope that helps

Please explain what that means mathematically.

Acceleration is dV/dt. This is a rate (by the definition of rate).

How would the "rate of acceleration" be any different?

1 Reply

@maxdancona,

I think it may mean that acceleration could be constant or it may change --- its a difficult one and no mistake. When you press down the car accelerator peddle does it speed up evenly?

1 Reply

@magnocrat,

No, max was right. For some reason, I was thinking that acceleration is scalar and rate of acceleration was a vector. I was wrong. That's what I get for trying to think late at night.

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@FBM,

Sad to say my science is intuitive not mathmatical. Like most I repond to words rather than symbols , ultimately everything boils down to language.

1 Reply

@magnocrat,

Science is based on logic and mathematics, not intuition. Intuition is often wrong... intuition is a good thing to get you to look at problems from another angle.

When it comes to understanding science, you have to rely on the mathematics.

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@FBM,

There is a term for the the change of Acceleration over time (that is dA/dt). That is called "jerk" (which I think sounds funny when I say it).

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@maxdancona,

Yeah, that was what I confabulated with "rate of acceleration." I've never heard it referred to as "jerk" before, but I've only studied it here in Korea, so I doubt that would have translated. Especially not the ambiguity. Wink

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@maxdancona,

Yes I suppose that is true but you must remember most of us have to rely on the experts explaining things. Many of the experts make a very good job of it. I have learnt a tremendous amount simply reading popular accounts of the latest discoveries, although many questions spring up in my mind.

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@maxdancona,

maxdancona wrote:

There is a term for the the change of Acceleration over time (that is dA/dt). That is called "jerk" (which I think sounds funny when I say it).

There is a T-shirt out there which just says "Don't be a (d^3)x/(dt)^3. "

I got one for XMas, and I'm wondering where I could wear it and have people get the joke.

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