Find the magnitude of the force acting on a 3.0-kg mass located at x=2.0 m inside a potential of (assume all units in MKS).

Question

Find the magnitude of the force acting on a 3.0-kg mass located at x=2.0 m inside a potential of  (assume all units in MKS).

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The force acting on a particle is given by the gradient of the potential energy. In one dimension, this is given by: F = - dU/dx. In this case, the potential energy of the particle is given by U(x) = 11e^(8x), so the force acting on the particle is: F = - dU/dx = -88e^(8x). Evaluating this at x = 2 m, we get: F = -88e^(16) N. Taking the magnitude of this force, we get approximately 28 N. Therefore, the best choice is (C) with a magnitude of 28 N.

Find the Magnitude of the Force Acting on a 3