DOYEN ACADEMY, SCHOOL OF PRELIMININARY STUDIES CAMBRIDGE ADVANCED LEVEL

4TH PERIODIC EXAM (MAY, 2016) LEVEL: PRECAMBRIDGE

Subject: MATHEMATICS TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINS
PAPER 4 MECHANICS
(1)

Particles A of mass 0.25 kg and B of mass 0.75 kg are attached to opposite ends of a light
inextensible string which passes over a fixed smooth pulley. The system is held at rest with
the string taut and its straight parts vertical. Both particles are at a height of h m above the
floor. The system is released from rest, and 0.6 s later, when both particles are in motion, the
string breaks. The particle A does not reach the pulley in the subsequent motion what is the
acceleration of A and the distance travelled by A before the string breaks.

(a) 3m𝒔−𝟐 , 0.9m (b) 4m𝒔−𝟐 , 0.9m (c) 5m𝒔−𝟐 , 0.9m (d) 6m𝒔−𝟐 , 0.9m (e) 7m𝒔−𝟐 , 0.9m

(2)

A light inextensible string has a particle A of mass 0.26 kg attached to one end and a particle
B of mass 0.54 kg attached to the other end. The particle A is held at rest on a rough plane
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inclined at angle α to the horizontal, where sin α = 13. The string is taut and parallel to a line
of greatest slope of the plane. The string passes over a small smooth pulley at the top of the
plane. Particle B hangs at rest vertically below the pulley (see diagram). The coefficient of
friction between A and the plane is 0.2. Particle A is released and the particles start to move.
What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the particles and the tension in the string.

(a) 1.1m𝒔−𝟐 , 1.15N (b) 2.6m𝒔−𝟐 , 1.95N (c) 5m𝒔−𝟐 , 9.5N (d) 6.3m𝒔−𝟐 , 2.2N (e)
4.9m𝒔−𝟐 , 2.75N

(3) Still using details from (2) and your answer in (2), Particle A now reaches the pulley 0.4 s
after starting to move. Find the distance moved by each of the particles.

(a) 0.992m (b) 0.392m (c) 1.552m (d) 2.372m (e) 3.672m
(4)

Particles A of mass 0.26 kg and B of mass 0.52 kg are attached to the ends of a light
inextensible string. The string passes over a small smooth pulley P which is fixed at the top of
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a smooth plane. The plane is inclined at an angle α to the horizontal, where sin α = and
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cos α = . A is held at rest at a point 2.5 metres from P, with the part AP of the string
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parallel to a line of greatest slope of the plane. B hangs freely below P at a point 0.6m above
the floor (see diagram). A is released and the particles start to move. Find the speed with
which B reaches the floor and the distance of A from P when A comes to instantaneous rest.

(a) 1.14m𝒔−𝟏 , 1m (b) 2m𝒔−𝟏 , 1.5m (c) 5m𝒔−𝟏 , 3.5m (d) 2.65m𝒔−𝟏 , 0.475m (e)
14.9m𝒔−𝟏 , 5.75m

(5)

Particles P and Q, of masses 0.6 kg and 0.4 kg respectively, are attached to the ends of a light
inextensible string. The string passes over a small smooth pulley which is fixed at the top of a
vertical cross-section of a triangular prism. The base of the prism is fixed on horizontal
ground and each of the sloping sides is smooth (no friction). Each sloping side makes an
angle θ with the ground, where sin θ = 0.8. Initially the particles are held at rest on the
sloping sides, with the string taut (see diagram). The particles are released and move along
lines of greatest slope. Find the tension in the string and the acceleration of the particles
while both are moving.

(a) 1.6m𝒔−𝟐 , 3.84N (b) 2.6m𝒔−𝟐 , 3.95N (c) 3.6m𝒔−𝟐 , 4.63N (d) 5.6m𝒔−𝟐 , 5.22N (e)
6.9m𝒔−𝟐 , 6N