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UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
B.ENG.(HONS.) IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

YEAR II SEMESTER I
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 SESSION OF EXAMINATIONS


MEC2300 Engineering Mechanics Kinematics 25
th
January, 2014

0915 - 1215 hours


This paper contains NINE questions. You are to attempt ALL questions.

Stationery: Use of calculators is allowed
Mathematical Booklets
Kinematics Data sheet
Graph Paper


1. The position of a particle moving along a straight line is given by

Where t is in seconds and s is in metres. Find:


(a) The position of the particle when t = 5 seconds
(1 mark)

(b) The velocity function of the particle at any time t
(2 marks)

(c) The acceleration function of the particle at any time t
(2 marks)








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2. The acceleration of a car starting from rest is given by the following equations:

For 0 s 50
For 50 s 120

Where s is in m and a is in m/s
2

Draw on graph paper

(a) The a s graph
(3 marks)

(b) The v s graph
(10 marks)
On your graphs show the relevant equations for each segment of the relationships.


3. The velocity of a particle is given by

( )

Where t is in s and v is in m/s

If the particle is at the origin when t = 0, find

(a) The particles acceleration when t = 3s
(2 marks)

(b) The x, y, z (i, j, k) position of the particle when t = 3s
(2 marks)


4. A particle is moving along a curved path defined by the curve

.

When it is at the coordinate position x = 2m the speed of the particle is 8m/s and the rate of
increase in speed is

. At this instant the particle is moving in the direction so that

x is decreasing.

Calculate the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of the particle at this instant.

(10 marks)

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5. The rod OA shown in Figure 1 is rotating anticlockwise with an angular velocity

rad/s. The collar B moves along the rod with a speed of

. When t = 0, = 0 and
r = 0. Find:

(a) The velocity magnitude of collar B when = 50
o

(5 marks)

(b) The acceleration magnitude of collar B when = 50
o

(5 marks)




Figure 1




6. A disk having a radius of 0.6m is initially rotating at an angular speed of 8 rad/s and is
subjected to a constant angular acceleration of 6 rad/s
2
. A point B on the disk lies at a radius
of 0.45m. Find:

(a) The magnitude of velocity of point B just after the wheel rotates through 2 revolutions.

(2 marks)

(b) The acceleration (magnitude and direction) of point B just after the wheel rotates through
2 revolutions.
(2 marks)







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7. At the instant shown in Figure 2, car A travels along the straight portion of the road with a
constant speed of 30 m/s in the general direction towards the right hand side of the page.
At the same instant car B travels along the circular portion of the road with a constant speed
of 20 m/s also towards the general direction towards the right hand side of the page.

Find (at the instant depicted in Figure 2):

(a) The velocity of car B relative to car A
(6 marks)
(b) The acceleration of car B relative to car A
(6 marks)

Figure 2

8. In Figure 3 the crank AB rotates in the anticlockwise direction with an angular velocity of
12 rad/s and with an anticlockwise angular acceleration of 1.5rad/s
2
. At the instant shown
= 30
o
. For the position and instant shown find:

(a) The angular velocity of the connecting rod BC
(12 marks)
(b) The angular acceleration of the connecting rod BC
(8 marks)
The dimensions a and b are 0.3m and 0.5m respectively.


Figure 3

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9. End A of the link ABC shown in Figure 4 is constrained to move in the vertical direction.
At the instant shown end A is moving downwards with a velocity of 1.5m/s and has a
downward acceleration of 0.5m/s
2
. Distance AB is equal to 0.6m, distance BC is equal to
0.5m, angle ABC is equal to 90
o
and the angle that AB makes with the horizontal is equal to
60
o
. Pivot B is a pin connected to a slider block. The slider block is constrained to move in the
horizontal guide as shown. For the instant shown find:

(a) The angular acceleration of the right angled link ABC.
(10 marks)

(b) The velocity and acceleration of the slider block.
(6 marks)

(c) Describe briefly how you would calculate the acceleration of point C. Mainly highlight
the equations to use, the known parameters to use in the equation and which parameters
need to be calculated.
(6 marks)





Figure 4