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WORKSHEET 2
Please Complete by Oct 15, 2010

Projectiles | Momentum | Newton's Laws| Past Paper Questions

1. A boy in an elevator throws a ball vertically upwards with speed 6. A softball is thrown at an angle of α = 60◦ above the horizon-
v0 = 5ms−1 relative to the elevator. The elevator has a con- tal. It lands a distance d = 2m from the edge of a at roof,
−2
stant upward acceleration a = 2ms . How long does it take whose height is h = 20m; the edge of the roof is l = 38m from
for the ball to return to the boy's hand? the tower (see gure below). At what speed was the softball
thrown?
2. An artillery shell is red from a cannon with an elevation of
α = 30◦ and muzzle velocity of v0 = 300ms−1 . Find the time
of ight of the shell, and its range.

3. A certain athlete consistently throws a javline at a speed of

25ms−1 . What is her best distance? On one occasion the ath-
lete released the javline poorly, and achieved only one half of
this distance.

(a) At what elevation angle did she release the javline?

(b) Does the elevation angle for half distance depend on the
speed of the throw? explain your answer. 7. A projectile is launched with horizonal and vertical velocity
components u, v . Show that its trajectory is a parabola, and
4. A transport airplane ies horizontally with a constant velocity that the maximum height and the range (on level ground) are
of 600km/h, at a height of 2km. Directly over a marker it re- 2
v 2uv
leases an empty fuel tank. How far ahead of the marker does
h= , r= respectively
g g
the tank hit the ground? At this time, is the airplane ahead or
behind the tank?
8. A downhill skier approaches horizontally a hump of height
5. A combat tank res a shell while moving on horizntal ground h = 1m which levels out before steepening suddenly to an angle
−1
with a velocity u = 10ms . The gun is pointing directly for- α = 25◦ to the horizontal (see gure). If her horizontal speed
◦
wards with an elevation α = 5 , and the muzzle velocity is at the top of the hump is u = 100km/h, how long does she
v0 = 1000ms−1 . The shell hits a target which is moving di- spend in the air before landing down the slope? If the skier
−1 −1
rectly from the tank at w = 15ms . How far from the tank is is able to jump vertically at speed v = 5ms , and she moves
the target at the moment of impact? How far apart were the more quickly when in contact wih the snow than in the air, can
tank and the target when the shell was red. you suggest a strategy for improving her time?
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M
respectively. What value must the ratio take so that the
m
masses remain stationary? What is the tension in this case, in
terms of m, g ?

9. A mass m1 = 1kg lies on a smooth table and is attatched by a

string and a frictionless pulley to a mass m2 = 0.01kg hanging
from the edge of the table (see gure). The system is released
from rest. Calculate the distance the mass m1 moves across
the table in the rst 10s. How long will it take for this mass to
travel 1m from its initial position?
12. An experiment is performed to determine the value of the grav-
itational acceleration g on Earth. Two equal masses M hang
at rest from the ends of a string on each side of a frictionless
pulley (see gure). A mass m = 0.01M is placed on the left-
hand mass. After the heavier side has moved down by h = 1m
the small mass m is removed. The system continues to move
for the next 1s, covering a distance of H = 0.312m. Find the
value of g from these data.

10. Two bodies are attatched to the ends of a string hanging from
a frictionless pulley (see gure). The masses of the two bodies
are m1 = 5kg and m2 = 10kg . Find the accelerations of the
masses and the tension in the string.

13. A mass m is placed on a rough inclined plane and attatched

by a string to a hanging mass M over a frictionless pulley (see
Figure). the angle α sinα = 0.6. The
of the slope is such that
coecient of static friction between the mass m and the plane
11. Two masses m, M lie on each side of a smooth wedge (see g- is µs = 0.2. Show that equilibrium is possible only if M lies
ure), connected by a string passing over a frictionless pully. The between two values M1 , M2 and nd the values of M1 , M2 in
◦ ◦
wedge faces make angles θ1 = 53 and θ2 = 47 to the horizonal terms of m
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17. A cue ball has velocity u and collides head-on with a station-
ary pool ball of equal mass m on a smooth horizontal table.
the collision is perfectly elastic (mechanical energy conserved).
what are the velocities v1 , v2 of the two balls after the collision?

18. In a one-dimensional collision, masses m1 , m2 have velocities

u1 , u2 before the collision and v1 , v2 afterwards. show that if
14. A mass m held at rest on an incline plane, whose slope is α, kinetic energy is conserved v2 − v1 = − (u2 − u1 ), i.e the bodies
by means of a horizontal force F (see gure). The coecient separate at the speed they approach.
of static friction is µs . Find the maximum F allowed before
the body starts to move up the plane. Express your answer in
19. A elemaentary particle of mass m1 collides with a stationary

terms of m , α , µs and g. proton of mass mp . As a result of the collision the particle

recoils along its direction of approach. A second elementary
particle of mass m2 continues to move forward after colliding
with a proton.

m1 m2
(a) Give limits on the ratios , .
mp mp
(b) If the velocity of the incoming particle is u in each case,

15. A book of mass M rest on a long table, with a piece of paper nd the nal velocities of all the particles after the colli-
mp
of mass m = 0.1M in betweeen. The coecient of friction be- sion in terms of u in the cases m1 = , m2 = 2mp
2
tweeen all the surfaces is µ = 0.1. The paper is pulled with a
horizontal force P (see gure). What is the minimum value of 20. An elemaentary particle of mass m and velocity u collides with a
P required to cause any motion? With what force must the stationary proton of mass mp . Assuming that the total mechan-
page be pulled in order to extract it from betweeen the book ical energy is conserved, calculate what fraction of the particles
and the table? Express your answers in units of M g. energy is transfered to the proton

21. A baseball player swings the bat with velocity u1 and hits a
ball travelling with velocity u2 (where u2 < 0 of course) di-
rectly back towards the pitcher. If the bat and ball have masses
m1 , m2 , with m1 >> m2 , and the collision is perfectly elastic,
show that the ball leaves the bat with velocity at most 2u1 − u2
16. A bird an an insect y directly towards each other on a hor-
izontal trajectory. the mass of the bird is M and that of the 22. A ball of mass m = 0.1kg hits a rigid vertical wall at angles
insect is m. The corresponding (constant) velocities are V, v . with velocity u = 20ms−1 . The impact is a height h = 4.9m
The bird swallows the insect and continues to glide in the same above the ground. It rebunds and falld to the ground a dis-
direction. Find its velocity U after swallowing the insect. Find tance x = 15m from the foot of the wall. What is the impulse
U in terms if V in the case m = 0.01M and v = 10V exherted by the wallon the ball? was the collision elastic?
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23. A soccer goalkeeper of mass mg = 80kg punches a ball ap- (c) the vertical component of its velocity when it strikes the
proaching him horizontally. The ball has a mass mb = 0.5kg ground
and velocityu = 1ms−1 . Immediately after the punch the ball (d) the angle that the velocity of the hammer makes with the
moves horizontally away along the direction of approach with
ground
velocity v = 0.8u. Assume that the impact last 4t = 0.2s.
What is the minimum value of the coecient µs of static fric- 25. The gure below shows a ball, P , of mass m, moving with
tion of the goalkeeper and the ground if he does not slide back- speed u, which collides with another ball, Q. of mass M , which
wards. is stationary. After the collision, P is found to be moving with
speed v , and Q with speed V . (u, v and V are all along the
24. A body is projected with a velocity v, at and angle,α, to the same line)
horizontal ground. Show that the time, t1 , taken for the body
to strike the ground is

2vsinα
t1 =
g

if the collision is perfectly elastic show that

2m
 
(a) V = u
M +m
(b) also show that
m−M
 
v= u
m+M
(c) In an elastic collision such as this, if the mass of Q is
A hammer at the top of a roof slides from rest and falls to the 0 −1
◦ half that of P amd P s velocity before collision is 30ms ,
ground at P . The roof is smooth and sloped at an angle of 30 0
what would Q s velocity be after the collision?
to the horizontal as shown inthe gure above. The roof is 10m
long and its lowest point is 10m from ground. (d) What is the ratio of the masses if the balls move with the
same velocity after collision?
calculate:

26. What is meant by the following terms:

(a) to the nearest signicant gure, the velocity of the ham-
mer when it reaches the lowest point on the roof. (a) speed

(b) velocity
(b) the horizontal component of its velocity when it hits the
ground (c) acceleration
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(d) a body travels from rest for a time, t, and has an acceler- (c) Describe how the conservation of energy applies in EACH
ation, a, obtain an expression in terms of a and t for: case

i. the nal velocity, v (d) Explain the meaning of impulse of a force and show the
ii. distance travelled, s. relation between the impulse of a force in a body and the
2
!
1 v momentum of the body
iii. hence show that s=
2 a (e) Two trolleys are used to investigate collisions. A trolley of
mass 1.60kg is pushed and hits a second trolley, of mass
27. During the initial phase of take o, a BWIA jet has an accel-
−1 0.80kg , which is moving in the same direction, but at a
eration of 4.0ms lasting 5 seconds. The burner engines are
−2 lower speed. The experiment is repeated and the results
then turned up to full power for an acceleration of 10ms . The
−1 are shown below;
speed needed for takeo is 300ms
1rst Collision
calculate the:
Mass Speed Before Collision Speed After Collisin
−1 −1
1.60kg 0.70ms 0.30ms
(a) length of the runway
0.80kg 0.10ms−1 0.89ms−1
(b) total time of take o
2nd Collision
(c) hence sketch a velocity-time graph for the motion of the Mass Speed Before Collision Speed After Collision
jet. −1 −1
1.60kg 0.60ms 0.37ms
0.80kg 0.10ms−1 0.57ms−1
28. A ball is thrown horizontally from a height, h, and with speed,
u. It hits the ground at a horizontal distance, d, from where it i. show whether or not the two sets of data are consis-

is thrown in a time, t. Assume that air resistance is negligible. tent with the law of conservation of momentum

ii. determine whether the collisions are elastic or inelas-

(a) Ese the equations of motion to derive the relationship be- tic
tweeen h and d, given that acceleration due to gravity is
iii. why should the speeds be measured IMMEDIATELY
g. before and after the collisions?
(b) Explain how Newton's law of motion apply to:
iv. The 1.60kg trolley collided with another of the same
i. the horizontal motion of the ball mass, moving with the same speed, in the opposite

ii. the vertical motion of the ball direction.

iii. without performing the calculation, explain how you v. what would be the TOTAL momentum after colli-

would nd the nal velocity of the ball sions?Explain your answer.

29. (a) Dene linear momentum and state the principle of conser- 30. (a) Write down an equation which shows the relation between

vation of linear momentum the resultant force F t for which the

on a body, the time
force acts and the change in momentum, 4p, of the body.
(b) Distinguish between inelastic collision and perfectly elastic
collisions (b) Dene the term impulse
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(c) A model rocket of initial mass 1.8kgis red vertically into ii. In fact in the above demonstration the incoming
−1
the air. Its mass decreases at a constant rate of 0.25kgs spheres come to rest but TWO spheres move o to-
as the fuel burns. The nal mass of the rocket is 0.40kg . gether on the other side with velcity v. Show that
The rocket rises to a height such that, during the ight, BOTH the conservation laws are now satised.
the acceleration due to gravity may be considered to have
−2
the constant value of 9.8ms 32. In a crash test car of mass 1200kg hits a wall and recoils. The
−1
calculate the: initial velocity of the car is 20ms and it bounces back at

i. initial weight of the rocket

1.5ms−1 as shown below. The contact with the wall last for
0.18s
ii. nal weight of the rocket

iii. time taken for the fuel to be burned

31. g(a) and g(b) show an apparatus known as Newton's cradle,

consisting of ve identical spheres hung from a frame. It is used
to demonstrate elastic collisions.

g(a) g(b)

(a) what is the change in momentum of the car during this

collision?

(b) nd the impulse of the force acting on the car

(c) sketch a graph to show the typical variation of force with

time during a collision like this and state what the area
under the graph represents
(a) dene the term momentum
(d) nd the average force acting on the car during the collision
(b) which TWO physical quantities are conserved in an elastic
collision? (e) discuss why modern cars are designed to crumble in a

(c) TWO of the spheres, each of mass m, are pulled to one side head-on collision.

as shown in gure b, and released so that they strike the (f ) use a sketch to show how the force varies with time when
others with velocity v. A student observing the demon- a car crumbles more than the one in the diagram
stration predicts that immediately after the collision ONE
sphere will move o from the other side with velocity 2v 33. A sphere of mass m moving with velocity u is involved in an
while the rst TWO spheres come to rest. elastic collision with a sphere of mass 2m moving along the
i. Show that this is NOT possible since only one of the same line with velocity −u. Find the velocities of the sheres
two quantities in (b) is conserved. immediately after the impact