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Re: dropped slinky

At 12:48 PM -0600 11/22/02, Tim Folkerts wrote:

Carl,

Sorry, but your analysis of the top of the slinky is wrong.

The bottom accelerates at 0 m/s^2 as you say
The center must accelerate at g. (Consider the net force on the net mass)
The top accelerates at 2g.

Carl's justification for his answer seemed pretty persuasive to me.
I'd be interested in seeing the analysis that leads to this very
different result. And don't forget that the "center" (of mass) is
well below the middle of the suspended slinky.

--
John Mallinckrodt mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
Cal Poly Pomona http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.