Tutor Marked Assignment

ELEMENTARY MECHANICS

Course Code: BPHE-101/PHE-01

Assignment Code: BPHE-101/PHE-01/TMA/2016
Max. Marks: 100

1. A particle of mass M is released from rest on a rough inclined plane, which

makes an angle of 30 with the horizontal. It is observed that the particle moves a
distance of 3 m in 3 s. What is the particles acceleration? Draw a properly labelled
free body diagram. Calculate the coefficient of kinetic friction between the particle
and the surface of the inclined plane.
(a) Particles acceleration:
First, let's find the acceleration of the particle. The equation describing the motion
of the particle down the inclined plane is
, where d = 3 m is the distance, the initial velocity is
Since the particle is released from rest, t = 3 s is the time during which the
particle moved the distance d, and a is acceleration, which is directed down the
inclined plane.
From here acceleration can be found:

(b) Free body diagram:

(c) Coefficient of Kinetic friction:

Let's direct the x-axis up the inclined surface and the y-axis down, perpendicular to
the surface (please see the attached image for the illustration.)
Then, the x-component of the terms in the equation will be
sin k =
30 k = 1
The y-component of the equation will be
cos + = 0
 cos 30 + = 0
= 30 2
Finally, the relationship between the normal force N and the friction force F is
Fk =k N 3
Where k is the coefficient of kinetic friction. Combining the three equations, we
get
30 k N =
30 k mgcos30 =
30 k30 =
kgcos30=gsin30 a
30
k =
30
9.811
2
0.67 4.9050.67 4.235
k= = = = 0.498
9.8123 4.9053 8.496

2. A ball of mass m 1 = 8.0 102 kg starts from rest and falls vertically
downward from a height of 3.0 m. After colliding with the ground, it bounces up to
a height of 2.0 m. The collision takes place over a time interval of _t = 5.0 103 s.
Calculate (i) the momentum of the ball immediately before and immediately after
the collision, (ii) average force exerted by the ground on the ball and (iii) impulse
imparted to the ball?

(a) The momentum of the ball immediately before and immediately after the
collision:

First we have to calculate the velocity of ball immediately before collision and
immediately after it.
We can use the equation of motion: 2 = 2 + 2
Where, V is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, a is acceleration
(acceleration due to gravity in this case and it is positive for falling object and
negative for raising objects) and s is the distance traveled.
Before collision, S =h= 3 m, u = 0 m/s and a = g = 9.81 m/s^2
Thus, 2 = 0 + 29.813 (falling objects +ve g)
Solving this, we get, V = 7.67 m/s.
Thus, momentum immediately before collision = mv = 8 x 10^-2 x 7.67 kg m/s
= 0.614 kg m/s.
Similarly, after the collision, ball rises to a height of 2 m.
Thus, s = 2 m, v = 0, a = -g = -9.81 m/s^2
Thus, 0 = 2 + 2(9.81)2 (raising object ve g)
Solving this, we get, u = 6.26 m/s
Thus, momentum immediately after collision = mu = 8 x 10^-2 x 6.26 kg m/s
= 0.501 kg m/s
(b) Average force exerted by the ground on the ball

Force exerted by the ground on the ball can be calculated as:

( )
=

8102 (7.67+6.26)
= 3 (Since u is negative)
510
= 222.88

(c) Impulse imparted to the ball

c) Impulse =

3. A cylindrical centrifuge of mass 8 kg and radius 10 cm spins at a speed of

80,000 rpm. Calculate the minimum braking torque that must be applied to stop
the rotor within 30 s from the instant the motor is turned off.

If we apply a constant braking force perpendicularly to the radius of spin, then

the torque (moment of force) will be
On the other hand, this torque will cause an angular acceleration (deceleration in
this case) and the relation between them is
Where is the moment of inertia of a centrifuge.
For an object whose mass is at the constant distance from the axis of rotation, the
moment of inertia is Linking this together, we can obtain
or
The angular speed will decrease uniformly at a rate A

centrifuge stops when so where is the initial angular

speed and is the given time of braking.

Finally, all these quantities are given. The only problem is

that is given in rpm, while it is required in radians per second. One rpm is
radians per second, so the final answer is
2
80.18000060
=
30
F=223.28N
This is the braking force. The torque itself is

4. A box of mass m is pushed horizontally on a rough floor with an initial speed of

2 ms1. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the surface and the box is k =
0.1. Calculate the distance the box will move before stopping.

Since the box is pushed initially, some force has been imparted to it. This force has
a magnitude of ma, where m is the mass of box and a is its acceleration. This force
is equal to the force of friction, since the applied force will be dissipated to counter
the friction. Hence,

Using the equation of motion: 2 = 2 + 2

Since, the box comes to a rest, V = 0 m/s. Here, u = 2 m/s and a = -

Thus, 2 = 2
2
=
2
22
=
2(0.981)

S = 2.04 m.
Thus, the box will move a distance of 2.04 m over the rough surface, before
coming to a full stop.

5. A particle of mass 2.5 kg moves in a conservative force field. Its potential

energy curve is shown below. From the curve, determine (a) the total mechanical
energy of the particle at x = 1.3 m if it has a speed of 8 ms1 and (b) the minimum
total energy at which the particle can escape from the force field. If Etot = 150 J,
where would the particle have (i) zero velocity, (ii) maximum velocity?
 (a) The total mechanical energy of the particle at x = 1.3 m if it has a speed of 8
ms1:

At the potential energy is as we see from the graph. The kinetic

energy is
1
K. E = mV 2
2
2.5X82
K. E =
2

So the full energy is

(b) The minimum total energy at which the particle can escape from the force field:

If the total energy of the particle is Et = 150J , then the potential energy of the
particle E(x) is either less or equal to 150 J, as follows from the equation
V2
E(x) + m =Et
2
This corresponds to the region on the potential energy curve which lies below the
horizontal line corresponding to E(x) = 150 J. This region on the interval where x
is greater than 1.3 m and less than 3.4 m: 1.3<x<3.4. So, if the total energy of the
particle is 150 J, the particle will be "trapped" by the force field in between these
two values of x.
The velocity of the particle will be zero when E(x) = Et , which happens at x = 1.3
m and x = 3.4 m.
The velocity will be maximum at the point where E(x) is minimum, which is at the
point x = 2.6 m. At this point, the particle is in equilibrium.
2
Total energy of a particle is kinetic energy plus potential energy E. The force
2
field is conservative so the potential energy depends only on the position x of a
particle. Total energy of a particle has the same value for any x because of energy
conservation law.
A particle escapes a force field if its x can be arbitrary large. Denote the total
V2
particle's energy as Et and consider the equation E(x) + m =Et
2
From the graph we see that as Also recall that the
displacement is the integral of the velocity (the velocity is the derivative of the
displacement with respect to time).
b1) if then cannot be arbitrary large ( will
become negative which is impossible), and a particle won't escape.
b2) if then Therefore
So a particle will escape.
b3) if then the answer may be different for different

6. A fisherman in a boat catches a huge fish with a rod and starts to pull it in. The
fish struggles for a while and then becomes still when it is at a distance of 200 m
from the boat. During this operation, the boat (initially at rest) moves 25 m in the
direction of the fish. If the mass of the boat is 5000 kg, calculate the mass of the
fish. Assume that water exerts no friction.

The boat move 25m while the fish is being reeled in from 200m. It's a center of
mass problem - if the water friction can be ignored then the center of mass of the
boat/fish system lies 25m from the initial position of the boat.
1 1 = 2 2

x1
m2 = m
x2 1
25
m2 = X5000
200
= 625 kg.

7. A horizontal disk is rotating counter-clockwise about its axis of symmetry at 14

rps. Its rotational inertia with respect to its axis of symmetry is 8 kg m2. A second
disk, of rotational inertia 2 kg m2 with respect to its axis of symmetry, rotating
clockwise about the same axis at 7 rps, is dropped on top of the first disk. The two
disks stick together and rotate as one about their common axis of symmetry.
What is the angular velocity of the system?

In order to answer this question, we need to apply the law of the conservation of
angular momentum: in the absence of the torques of external forces, the angular
momentum of a system is conserved.
In this case, the system consists of two discs. There are no external forces on the
system mentioned.
The initial angular momentum of the system is the vector sum of the angular
momenta of the discs. The magnitudes of the momentum are
L1 = I1 1
L 2 = I 2 2
Here, I is the moment of inertia and is an angular velocity of each disk.
Since the first disk is rotating counterclockwise and the second disk is rotating
clockwise, their angular momenta are in the opposite direction. So the magnitude
of the vector sum is
L = |I1 1 I2 2 |
The final angular momentum of the system, after the disks stick together and
rotate as one, is
L = (I1 + I2 )
(Since the disks rotate together as one, they have the same angular velocity,
and the total moment of inertia is the sum of the moments of inertia of the disks.)
Since the angular momentum is conserved, L = L':
After plugging in the given values of the quantities, the new angular velocity can
be found:
|8X14 2X7| = (8 + 2)

The angular velocity of the system of the two disks rotating together is 9.8 rps.
Counter clockwise.

8. A car of mass 1400 kg moving south at 11 ms1 collides into another car of
mass 1800 kg moving east at 30 ms1. The cars are stuck together after the
collision. Determine the velocity of the cars immediately after the collision.

Given:
V1 = 11m/s; V2 = 30m/s; m1 = 1400Kg; m2 = 1800Kg
Applying conservation of momentum Applying conservation of momentum
along the x-axis along the y-axis.
V1 x = 0 m/s V2 x = 30 m/s
V1 y =11 m/s V2 y =0 m/s
m1 =1400Kg m2 =1800Kg

m1 + m2 =3200Kg
Goal:
= ? =?
System: cars
External forces: Gravity and normal are external forces, but the net, external force
is 0. We're ignoring friction.
Initial state: cars before collision
Final state: cars just after collision

Y North
m1=1400Kg
v1= 11 m/s

Vf cos
West x x East
m2=1800 Kg Angle=
v2= 30 m/s
V final
m1+m2= 3200Kg
Vf sin

Y South

Applying conservation of momentum Applying conservation of momentum

along the x-axis along the y-axis.
P initial= P final P initial= P final
P1x+P2x=Pfx P1y+P2y=Pfy
m1V1x+m2V2x=(m1+m2)Vf cos m1V1y+m2V2y=(m1+m2)Vf sin
1800X30=3200Vf cos-----------------1 1400X11=3200Vf sin-------------------2

Dividing 2 by 1
15400
=
54000
Tan=0.2852
= tan-1 (0.2852)
= 15.92 (It falls in IV quadrant and with x-axis)
From 1 From 2
15400=3200Vf sin (15.92) 54000=3200Vf cos (15.92)
15400 54000
Vf = Vf =
0.2743200 0.9623200
Vf = 17.56 m/s Vf = 17.54 m/s
Therefore velocity of the cars immediately after the collision=17.5 m/s

9. A satellite of mass 2500 kg is orbiting the Earth in an elliptical orbit. At the

farthest point from the Earth, its altitude is 3600 km, while at the nearest point, it is
1100 km. Calculate the energy and angular momentum of the satellite and its
speed at the aphelion and perihelion.

The turning points and are the distances of closest approach and furthest
recession. These points are usually denoted by the Greek prefixes peri (around)
and apo (from). Thus a planets point of closest approach to the sun is called its
perihelion, and its point of furthest recession is its aphelion (helios is sun in
Greek).
For satellites around the earth, the corresponding names are perigee and apogee.
We find the turning points by setting Ueff E, remembering that E is negative

L2 Mm
G = E (Or)
2mr2 r
2
GMm L2
r + r =0
E 2mE
The roots of this equation are rp and ra , so it must be the same as
(r rp )(r ra ) = 0 (Or)
r 2 (rp + ra )r + ra rp = 0

Comparing the coefficients in these different two forms, we see that

GMm
rp + ra =
E

L2
ra rp =
2mE

The turning points are related to the axes of the ellipse by

rp + ra = 2a
ra rp = b2
So we can write the energy and angular momentum of the orbit in terms of a and b

: =

: =
The first of these is an important formula, showing that the energy depends only on
the length of the orbit 2a. The second shows that L is proportional to b, so more
eccentric orbits (smaller b) correspond to lower L. Maximum L occurs for a
circular orbit, b = a .