A rail gun uses electromagnetic forces to accelerate a projectile to very high v

Question

A rail gun uses electromagnetic forces to accelerate a projectile to very high velocities. The basic mechanism of acceleration is relatively simple and can be illustrated in the following example. A metal rod of mass 50.0 g and electrical resistance 0.100 ? rests on parallel horizontal rails that have negligible electric resistance. The rails are a distance L = 10.0 cm apart. The rails are also connected to a voltage source providing a voltage of V = 5.00 V. The rod is placed in a vertical magnetic field. The rod begins to slide when the field reaches the value B = 4.90?10?2 T. Assume that the rod has a slightly flattened bottom so that it slides instead of rolling. Use 9.80 m/s2 for the magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity.

Find ?s, the coefficient of static friction between the rod and the rails.

Explanation / Answer

current i = V/R = 5/0.1 = 50 A

ilB = mg

50 * 0.1 * 4.9*10^-2 = * 0.05 * 9.8

= 0.5

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