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Statement

$1.5.17.$ The log, resting its lower end in the corner between the wall and the ground, touches the bottom of the truck at a height $H$ from the ground. Find the angular velocity of the log as a function of the angle $\alpha$ between it and the horizontal if the truck is moving away from the wall at speed $v$.

 For problem $1.5.17$
For problem $1.5.17$

Solution

NO: Before viewing the solution to this problem, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the solution 1.5.16

At time $t$ the car will travel the distance $vt$ and the bottom will have horizontal coordinate $x$

$$ x = H \tan\alpha\quad(1) $$

Let's consider the change in angle $\alpha = \arctan \frac{H}{x}$ over a small period of time $dt$

$$ d\alpha = d\left(\arctan \frac{H}{x}\right) $$

$$ d\alpha = \frac{1}{1+\frac{H^2}{x^2}} \frac{H}{x^2} $$

$$ d\alpha = dx\frac{H}{x^2+H^2} $$

Considering that $\omega = \frac{d \alpha}{dt}$ and $v = \frac{dx}{dt}$

$$ \omega = \frac{vH}{x^2+H^2} $$

Substitute $(1)$

$$ \omega = \frac{v}{H(1 + \tan^2 \alpha )} $$

$$ \fbox{$\omega = \frac{v \sin^2 \alpha}{H}$} $$

Alternative solution:

In time $\Delta t$ the truck will travel a distance

$$ \Delta l=\upsilon\Delta t $$

 Log and truck
Log and truck
Log and truck

The log will drop slightly, turning at a small angle $\Delta \alpha$. If the length of the arc of rotation is $\Delta x$, then by definition of the radian measure of angle

$$ \Delta \alpha =\frac{\Delta x }{R} $$

Angular velocity is defined as

$$ \omega =\frac{\Delta \alpha}{\Delta t }=\frac{\Delta x }{R\Delta t } $$

Но $\Delta x =\upsilon\Delta t\sin\alpha$.

$$ \omega =\frac{\upsilon\Delta t\sin\alpha}{R\Delta t }=\frac{\upsilon\sin\alpha}{R} $$

We can also write that

$$ H=R\sin\alpha$$

With this in mind

$$ \omega =\frac{\upsilon\sin^2 \alpha}{H} $$

Answer

$$\omega = \frac{v \sin^2 \alpha}{H}$$