PHYS 131 MIDTERM --- WITH SOLUTIONS ---

October 26th, 2009

The exam comprises two parts: 6 short-answer questions, and 4 problems. Calculators are allowed, as well as a formula sheet (one-side of an 8 x 11 sheet) of your own making. Answer all the short-answer questions with a few words or a phrase, but be concise, please! For the problems, your grade will be calculated with the best three problems. Show your work. The short answer problems are worth four points each, and the problems are worth 10 points each. Put all answers in the red and white answer booklets provided; you may keep this exam. Good luck !

Short answer questions (answer all): you should not need to do any calculations
for these questions. Answer in a few words, a short phrase, or a simple sketch.

1) [4 pts] Make a sketch of a velocity-vs-time graph where the velocity is always positive but the acceleration is always negative. Give a physical example of such a system. Solution: A physical example would be a car moving towards a stop sign and decelerating, or a ball thrown upwards towards someone in a window. Example graph (acceleration < 0 means slope must always be <0, while the v is always positive):

2) [4 pts] In the diagram below, blocks 1 and 2 are identical, and the surface that block 1 is resting upon is frictionless. The two blocks are connected by a massless string running over a pulley. Initially block 2 is at rest (with the string taut) at the same height as block 1, and equidistant from the pulley. Then block 2 is dropped. Phys 131 Midterm, Oct 26th, 2009

a) Draw the free-body diagram for each block after block 2 is dropped, but before it hits. b) Does block 1 hit the pulley before or after block 2 hits the wall? No calculations are necessary!

Solution: (a) The free-body diagrams are:

(b) Block 1 hits first. The tensions are equal, but in Block 2s case, it acts at an angle. So the horizontal force (the only force that can make Block 2 move towards the wall) is smaller in Block 2s case than for Block 1. Hence, Block 1 has the larger acceleration and will hit the pulley before Block 2 hits the wall.

3) [4 pts] The plot below shows the potential energy function U vs. x. Identify the numbered points (a) where the x-component of the force on the particle is positive; (b) where the xcomponent of the force is negative; (c) where the x-component of the force has the largest magnitude; (d) that are equilibrium points (where the force is zero), and for each, indicate if the equilibrium is stable or unstable.

Phys 131 Midterm, Oct 26th, 2009

Solution: F = - dU/dx so this is all about the local slope of the function U(x). (a) x-component of the force (Fx) is positive at points 3 and 6. (b) x-component is negative at 1 and 5. (c) Fx has largest magnitude at point 3. (d) equilibrium points (no force) at points 2 (unstable) and 4 (stable, or meta-stable). 4) [4 pts] A projectile is launched at a speed of v and at an angle above the horizontal of . It lands at the same level from which it was launched, and we ignore air resistance. What was its average velocity between launch and landing? Was its instantaneous velocity ever equal to this average velocity? If so, when? Solution: The average velocity is the total displacement divided by the total time; in this case its just the horizontal velocity vcos. The instantaneous velocity is equal to the average velocity at the highest point of the trajectory (where vvertical is zero) 5) [4 pts] (a) Which of the free-body diagrams below represents a block sliding down a frictionless inclined plane? (b) For the correct diagram, label the forces and tell which are contact forces and which are action-at-a-distance forces.

Solution: (a) Diagram c) is the correct choice. (b)There are only two forces acting: the upward force is FN, the normal force (which is a contact force) and the lower one is mg, the gravitational force (action-at-a-distance force).

Phys 131 Midterm, Oct 26th, 2009

6) [4 pts] A popular carnival ride has passengers stand with their backs against the inside wall of a cylinder. As the cyclinder spins, the floor is lowered and the passengers are stuck to the wall. Passengers feel as though they are being pushed against the wall. Explain the physics of the ride. Is there a force pushing the passengers into the wall? Solution: The cylinder spins at large speed and exerts a large normal force (towards the center of the cylinder) on the passengers. They feel stuck to the wall because inertia wants to move them tangentially; there is no force pushing them into the wall. They dont fall because the large normal force creates an upward frictional force which balances mg.

Problems (you will be graded on the best THREE out of four):

1) [10 pts] A block of mass m moves down a frictionless slide from a height h. At points A and B the track can be approximated as an arc of a circle of radius r (see diagram). a) What is the maximum height hmax the block can be released from so as to not leave the track at point B? b) For the height calculated in part a), what is the force of the track on the block at point A?

Solution: a) At point B, we have FN mg = - mv2/r where positive is taken to be upwards, and FN is the normal force of the track. At the limiting case where the block just leaves the track, FN = 0. This gives mg = mv2/r and thus g=v2/r. From energy conservation, we have mg(h-r) = mv2, so v2 = 2g(h-r). Put together, this gives the final result: hmax = 3/2 r. (b) At point A, for a release height of hmax, we have mv2 = mg(hmax+r), so v2 = 2g(hmax+r). The normal force is given by: FN mg = mv2/r , so FN = mg + mv2/r. Putting these together (and using the expression for hmax from a)), we get: FN = 6mg. 2) [10 pts] A student is hurrying to his final exam. At the wheel of his car, he prepares to enter the autoroute on a level, unbanked entry lane that is an arc of a circle with radius 125 m. He is at 60 km/hr and speeding up uniformly so that at the end of the 90o arc he plans to be at autoroute speed (120 km/hr; hes in Montreal!). Phys 131 Midterm, Oct 26th, 2009

a) Calculate his tangential acceleration. b) Derive an expression for the radial component of his acceleration, as a function of the angle , from 0 to 90o (at =0 he is just entering the arc, and at =90o he is just merging onto the autoroute). c) Write down the expression for the magnitude of his acceleration as a function of the angle . d) What is the coefficient of static friction that he needs to make it onto the autoroute safely? That is, what is the coefficient required so the force of friction is sufficient to provide the acceleration calculated in a) for all angles between 0 and 90o? Solution:

3) [10 pts] In a stage production of Peter Pan, the actress playing Wendy has to fly in. The contraption in the figure is used, consisting of a support angled at 50o above the horizontal. A counterweight of mass M slides (frictionlessly) on this support, connected to Wendy by a wire over a pully. Wendy has a mass of 55 kg and must be lowered from a height of 4.5 m in a time of 2.2 seconds (at constant acceleration) to be in time with the music. a) Calculate the acceleration she must have during her fly-in. b) Find the mass of the counterweight. c) Find the tension in the wire during the stunt (assume the wire is vertical between Wendy and the pulley, and parallel to the incline between the mass and the pulley).

Phys 131 Midterm, Oct 26th, 2009

Solution: (a) From rest she accelerates downwards at a, covering 4.5 m in 2.2 s. So d = at2 gives a = 2d/t2 = 1.86 m/s2. (b) Here well need to solve the dynamics through free-body diagrams. For Wendy, we have T mg = - ma, T = mg ma = 437 N (T is the tension in the rope). For the mass M, we have the same acceleration (but upwards along the slope, this time), so T Mgsin(50o) = Ma. This gives M = 46.6 kg. (c) Weve already calculated T in part (b) its 437 N. 4) [10 pts] A toy gun shoots pellets of mass m=25 g by means of a spring, of spring constant k=15 N/m. When the pellet is loaded, the spring is compressed by 6.0 cm. The barrel exerts a frictional force of Ff=0.074 N on the pellet as it moves 15 cm down the barrel from its starting position. For parts a) though c), assume the gun is fired in the horizontal position. a) At what position does the pellet reach maximum speed? b) What is the maximum speed achieved by the pellet as it is fired? c) What is the speed of the pellet as it leaves the barrel? Hint: for parts a) and b), consider the equilibrium between the spring force and the frictional force, and where this occurs. Solution: (a) The maximum speed is not reached at the spring equilibrium position; its reached when the net accelerating force is zero (as the force changes from positive to negative, where positive is the direction the pellet is accelerated). This occurs when kx = Ff. So x = -0.00493 m (ie, 4.9 mm before the pellet gets to the equilibrium position. (b) At that point, we have: kxmax2 - Ff(x-xmax) = mvmax2 (this is from conservation of energy, taking account of the [negative] work done by friction). In this equation, xmax and x both have negative values. We get vmax = 1.35 m/s. (c) Again, we can use conservation of energy: kxmax2 - Ff(0.15m) = mvf2 which gives vf = 1.13 m/s. Phys 131 Midterm, Oct 26th, 2009