Dripping Faucet Problem

[angieelahh]

okayy well i think i have an answer..but i dont know scientific reasoning..

heres the problem:

 

Consider drops of water that leak from a dripping faucet. As the drops fall they

 

a)get closer

b)remain at a relatively fixed distance from the other

c)get further apart

 

i said "c"..but now i need scientific reasoning..

how do you put scientific reasoning to that??

[timo]

1) "get closer", "remain at a fixed distance" and "get further apart" means (or at least can be understood) how their distance changes over time.

2) That already sounds like velocity, and indeed velocity of the drops is the key.

3) Now, which relations should the velocities of two drops fullfill for a, b and c, respectively?

4) What is (or what do you assume is) the relation of the velocities?

5) If you did follow to this point, then you get your reasoning from the reasoning in 4).

 

@MrMongoose: I think she meant the distance between two subsequent drops during falling.

[MrMongoose]

Edit: Whoops misread it.

[Externet]

The drop descending earlier goes faster than the ones after it because has been traveling a longer time under gravity acceleration.

If a drop goes faster, it will be further ahead between it and the next one.

There is an asimptote as at a certain point the speed will not increase beyond the air drag.

 

So, the drops will be more apart the longer they have been falling.

[John Cuthber]

Until they reach terminal velocity, then they stay at the same distance.

[MrMongoose]

Of course, they'll break up before reching terminal velocity. A badger dropping teabags from a tree would be a better question.

[thedarkshade]

okayy well i think i have an answer..but i dont know scientific reasoning..

heres the problem:

 

Consider drops of water that leak from a dripping faucet. As the drops fall they

 

a)get closer

b)remain at a relatively fixed distance from the other

c)get further apart

 

i said "c"..but now i need scientific reasoning..

how do you put scientific reasoning to that??

If you mean from a faucet like this:

Then I think the distance would remain the same, I mean the gravitational attraction would be the same for all the drops, so there is no reason they could get closer or further":doh:

[insane_alien]

do you want to know why your wrong darkshade?

 

the force is the same so the acceleration is the same is true. but the starting wime is different and that makes a big difference to whether the get closer or further from each other in flight. if you get a tap dripping at a constant rate you'll be able to see what happens. works best with strobe lighting.

[swansont]

If you mean from a faucet like this:

Then I think the distance would remain the same, I mean the gravitational attraction would be the same for all the drops, so there is no reason they could get closer or further":doh:

 

Sorry, no.

 

No reason? Reread the thread and perhaps you can find one.

[Zaire]

nooo

[tvp45]

A good way to think about this is that so long as you are quite below terminal velocity, the drops are separated by equal time intervals. So, since y = gt^2, what does that say about the space intervals?

[Jacques]

Not sure but if I remember correctly y=1/2 gt^t

Let assume that the faucet drip at a constant rate.

Let say for example that the drip is 1 drop per second

Let take 3 drop at t0=0 t1=1 and t2=2

Let take g 10 m/s^2

t0=> 0

t1=> 5

t2=> 20

So the space between drop increase until terminal volocity is achived

Merry Chrismass!

[tvp45]

Not sure but if I remember correctly y=1/2 gt^t

Let assume that the faucet drip at a constant rate.

Let say for example that the drip is 1 drop per second

Let take 3 drop at t0=0 t1=1 and t2=2

Let take g 10 m/s^2

t0=> 0

t1=> 5

t2=> 20

So the space between drop increase until terminal volocity is achived

Merry Chrismass!

 

So, I take it you don't round gravity off?