Physics Challenge for

Teachers and Students

Solutions to February 2007 Challenge

◗ Cash or Charge?
Challenge: Three small identical coins of mass m each are
For small displacements, use the binomial
connected by two light nonconducting strings of length d approximations (1 + z)a  1 + az to get:
each. Each coin carries an unknown charge q. The coins are
placed on a horizontal frictionless nonconducting surface as 1 q2
shown (the angle between the strings is very close to 180°). U AC =
After the coins are released, they are observed to vibrate
4πε0 2d 1 − ( y d )2
with period T. Find the charge q on each of the coins.
1 q 2 ⎛⎜ y2 ⎞
≈ ⎜⎜1 + 2 ⎟⎟⎟ .
4πε0 2d ⎜⎝ 2d ⎟⎠

Since the location of the center of mass will

not move, coin B moves a distance yB = 2y/3
and the other two coins move y/3 in the other
direction. The change in the potential energy as
Solution: Define the distances x and y as a function of yB is
shown in the diagram below (drawn so that
1 ⎛ 1 9q 2 ⎞⎟⎟ 2
coin B moves vertically). ΔU ≈ ⎜⎜⎜ ⎟ yB .
2 ⎜⎝ 4πε0 8d 3 ⎟⎠
x

If coin B is moving vertically with a speed vB,

A C the vertical components of the velocities of
y coins A and C are vB/2 in the opposite direc-
B tion to conserve momentum. For small dis-
placements, the horizontal components of the
d
velocities of coins A and C are negligible, so the
total kinetic energy is
The total potential energy is
2
K ≈ 12 mvB2 + 2 ⋅ 12 m (vB 2) = 12 (3m 2) vB2 .
U = UAB + UBC + UAC,

where UAB is the contribution due to the rela- This can be treated as a one-dimensional sys-
tive position of coins A and B, etc. Since the tem with an effective mass of meff  3m/2 and
distances between coins A and B and coins B a spring constant:
and C do not change, UAB = UBC = constant.
The remaining term is 1 9q 2
k≈ .
4πε0 8d 3
1 q2 1 q2
U AC = = .
4πε0 x 4πε0 2 d 2 − y 2 The period is

180 THE PHYSICS TEACHER ◆ Vol. 45, 2007

 Marianne Breinig (The University of Tennessee,
m 3m 2 Knoxville, TN)
T = 2π eff ≈ 2π
k 1 9q 2 David A. Cornell (Principia College, Elsah, IL)
4πε0 8d 3 Don Easton (Lacombe, Alberta, Canada)
Fredrick P. Gram (Cuyahoga Community
4π md 3 3
= , College, Cleveland, OH)
q 1 4πε0
Jeff Melmed (Eastern Maine Community
College, Bangor, ME)
so the charge is
Carl E. Mungan (U. S. Naval Academy,
4π md 3 3 Annapolis, MD)
q≈ .
T 1 4πε0 Michael Threapleton (Centralia College,
Centralia, WA)
(Contributed by Alan J. DeWeerd, University of Leo H. van den Raadt (Heemstede, The
Redlands, Redlands, CA) Netherlands)

We would also like to recognize the following

contributors:
Richard A. Bachman (Potomac State College/
University of West Virginia, Keyser, WV)
André Bellemans (Université Libre de Bruxelles,
Belgium)
Many thanks to all contributors and we hope to
hear from you in the future!
Please send correspondence to:
Boris Korsunsky; korsunbo@post.harvard.edu

THE PHYSICS TEACHER ◆ Vol. 45, 2007 181