Mechanical Engineering Science

Assignment 1:
Due Date: November 23, 2016
Assignment should be submitted placed in Drop-box -1 in the
mechanical engineering office
Question 1
a)

With the aid of diagrams state the conditions of static equilibrium for a system of coplanar forces
(5)

b)

A ladder is placed against a perfectly smooth wall, while the base rest on rough ground
making an angle of 60o with the horizontal. A work man of mass 95 kg stands halfway up
the ladder. Assuming the ladder does not slip on the floor, find:
(i) The reaction between the wall and the ladder
(ii) The direction of the reaction of the floor on the ladder
(5, 5)

(c)

A cricket pitch roller of diameter 1.5 m has a mass of 450 kg; it is pulled by a handle
attached to its centre. Find the minimum force to pull up a step which is 250 mm high if
the roller handle makes an angle of 30o with the horizontal.
(10)

Question 2
(a)

Sate the Laws of dry friction

(6)

b)

A force of 0.5 kN acting parallel to a plane inclined at an angel of 20o to the horizontal is
require to just move a body of mass 60kg up the plane Determine:
(i) The coefficient of friction between the surfaces and
(ii) The force parallel to the plane required to drag the body down the plane at a
steady speed.
(14)

(c)

If the surface of the plane can be lubricated to alter the value of the coefficient of friction,
what should this value be for the body to be just on the point of moving down under its
own weight?
(5)

Question 3
A screw jack has a single start thread of 12 mm pitch and an effort pulley of 300 mm diameter.
An effort of 100N is required to raise a mass of 400 kg. Determine:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

The velocity ratio of the jack

The mechanical advantage for this load
The ideal and lost effort for this load
The efficiency of the load

(10)
(5)
(5)
(5)

Question 4
(a)

State:
i).
Newtons laws of motion.
ii).
What is meant by the term centripetal acceleration
iii).
The relationship governing the velocity before and after impact

(4,4,4)

(b)

Derive an expression for the acceleration of a body moving with a constant speed in a
circular path.
(6)

(c)

A cricket ball of mass 156 g reaches a batman with a velocity of 7 m/s and is driven
straight back with a velocity of 20 m/s. Calculate the impulsive force between bat and
ball if they were in contact for 0.1 seconds.
(7)

Question 5

a) Define the term centre of mass of an object.

(5)

b) Determine the position of centroid of the lamina shown in Figure 1 relative to X and Y
axis.
(20)

25
10
Y-axis

15
45

25

20
10
55

Figure 1

All dimensions are in cm

X-axis

Question 6
For the framed structure shown in Figure 2, calculate:
a). The reactions at joint A and E
b). Using method of joints determine the force in each member and the nature of the force

Figure 2