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besjbo
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Homework Statement
Imagine that you toss the drumstick of a turkey to your friend across a table. Approximate the leg as a baton consisting of two equal masses connected by a stiff spring. Let the masses, m and M, each equal 0.1 kg (we’ll modify this assumption later) and connect them with a spring of negligible mass and spring constant, k = 105 N/m. Let the initial distance between the centers of the two masses be the rest length of the spring, d0 = 0.15m.
You give the leg an impulse so that, as it leaves your hand, mass m has v1=<2.77, 1.25, 0> m/s and M starts with v2=<1.25, 4.0, 0> m/s.
Take the origin of the coordinate system be the initial location of mass m. Let the second mass be initially located at <d0, 0, 0>. Write a code to evolve the flight of the leg under the action of gravity, but ignore air resistance.
Homework Equations
Ltrans = r x p
Lrot = I[itex]\omega[/itex] = MR2[itex]\omega[/itex]
The Attempt at a Solution
This is where I'm struggling. I don't quite know how to approach this problem, at least not practically. Reading the book, while somewhat helpful, has not really seemed to make me capable of understanding how to go about solving this particular problem.
BTW, the code in question is in VPython, which is largely a logical language, the difficulties of which I'll deal with myself. My questions are more about the logic of this problem.
I will admit I cannot say I (fully) understand angular momentum, much less its interaction with spring force in this situation. I'm not looking for anything to be handed to me, but I'm confused enough by all of the concepts I'm trying to grasp that I feel I need guidance in baby steps. Any help would be greatly appreciated.