Problem 1.

12 [Difficulty: 3]

Given: Data on sphere and terminal speed.

kVt
Find: Drag constant k, and time to reach 99% of terminal speed.

Solution: Use given data; integrate equation of motion by separating variables.

− 13 ft mg
The data provided are: M = 1 × 10 ⋅ slug Vt = 0.2⋅
s

dV
Newton's 2nd law for the general motion is (ignoring buoyancy effects) M⋅ = M⋅ g − k⋅ V (1)
dt

M⋅ g
Newton's 2nd law for the steady state motion becomes (ignoring buoyancy effects) M ⋅ g = k ⋅ Vt so k =
Vt

2
− 13 ft s lbf ⋅ s − 11 lbf ⋅ s
k = 1 × 10 ⋅ slug × 32.2⋅ × × k = 1.61 × 10 ⋅
2 0.2⋅ ft slug⋅ ft ft
s

dV
= dt
To find the time to reach 99% of Vt, we need V(t). From 1, separating variables k
g− ⋅V
M

⋅ ln⎛⎜ 1 − ⋅ V⎞
M k
Integrating and using limits t=−
k ⎝ M⋅ g ⎠

ft
We must evaluate this when V = 0.99⋅ Vt V = 0.198 ⋅
s

lbf ⋅ s
2 ⎛ − 11 lbf ⋅ s
2
0.198 ⋅ ft slug⋅ ft ⎞
⋅ ln⎜ 1 − 1.61 × 10
− 13 ft 1 s
t = −1 × 10 ⋅ slug × × ⋅ × × × ×
− 11 slug⋅ ft ⎜ ft − 13 32.2⋅ ft s 2
1.61 × 10 ⋅ lbf ⋅ s ⎝ 1 × 10 ⋅ slug lbf ⋅ s ⎠

t = 0.0286 s