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Sand moves without slipping at 6.0 m/s down a conveyor that is tilted at 15 degrees. The sand enters a pipe 3.3 m below the end of the conveyor belt, as shown in the figure.

A. Determine the velocity of the sand as it enters the pipe.
B. Calculate the potential energy of the sand at the end of the conveyor.
C. Find the kinetic energy of the sand at the end of the conveyor.
D. Determine the angle of the pipe with respect to the ground.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The question is about using the principles of energy conservation to find the velocity, gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy of sand moving down a conveyor, and the angle of a pipe related to a hypothetical scenario.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question asks us to analyze motion where energy conversion between gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy is evident. To tackle this question, we can use principles of physics, specifically mechanics and energy conservation.

Velocity of Sand as It Enters the Pipe

To determine the velocity of the sand as it enters the pipe, we need to consider the sand's initial velocity and the distance it falls. Since the sand is moving without slipping down a conveyor tilted at 15 degrees at 6.0 m/s, and enters a pipe 3.3 m below, we use the formula for the conservation of mechanical energy (ignoring air resistance):

Initial Potential Energy + Initial Kinetic Energy = Final Potential Energy + Final Kinetic Energy

Since there's no increase in potential energy, the kinetic energy at the entrance of the pipe will be the sum of the initial kinetic energy due to horizontal motion and the energy gained from falling 3.3 m.

Gravitational Potential Energy at Conveyor's End

The potential energy of the sand at the end of the conveyor can be calculated using the formula PE = mgh, where m is the mass of the sand, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2), and h is the height (3.3 m).

Kinetic Energy at Conveyor's End

To find the kinetic energy at the end of the conveyor, we use the formula KE = 1/2mv2, where m is the mass of the sand, and v is the final velocity found after calculating the velocity as the sand enters the pipe.

Angle of the Pipe With Respect to the Ground

If additional information such as the length of the pipe or the trajectory of the falling sand is given, we would use trigonometric functions to calculate the angle of the pipe with respect to the ground.

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