Unit 1 Physics (Assignment 1)

1. The Upthrust, U acting on an object is related to the gravitational field strength, g, the
volume of the displaced fluid, V and a quantity k, by the equation U = kgV.
a) Find the dimensions of k
b) Based on k’s dimensions, identify the quantity k.

2. The Energy of a moving object is found to be related to its mass, m and velocity, v. Use
dimensional analysis to develop an equation relating the above quantities Ans: E = kmv2

3.

The stick man jumped off a platform horizontally, a height, h off the ground.
!
The height was calculated by the equation h = " g t2.
The following is data gathered from the experiment:
QUANTITY VALUE
Acceleration due to gravity, g 9.81 ± 0.10ms-2
Time, t (taken with digital clock) 3.21 ± 0.01s
Find the height of the platform, h, including errors. Ans: 50.54 ± 0.83m
y
5N
10N
4.

Find the resultant.

30° 60°
x
45°
2N

Ans: 6.12N, q = 66.83°

 5. The ball is dropped from 1.5m, bounces twice and is caught at point E.
Draw a velocity time graph showing the ball’s journey.

6. A rock is thrown from a volcano after an eruption as in the diagram.

Find:
a) The time of flight of the rock Ans: 3.95s
b) The horizontal range the rock travelled Ans: 80.89m
c) The velocity of the rock, v and its direction q, just as the rock hits the ground.
Ans: 31.89ms-1, 50.05°
7. A cannonball is fired horizontally off a 60m high cliff.
Calculate the cannonball’s:
(i) time of flight Ans: 3.50s
(ii) horizontal range Ans: 419.70m
(iii) velocity, v and direction, q, just as it hits the ground below.
Ans: 124.81ms-1, 15.96°

8. Try the question below:

Use the ground as the point where the object is fired. Since the projectile lands on the hill,
find a) the height of the hill, H Ans: 443.98m
b) the horizontal range, D Ans: 1597.29m
 9.

The velocities of the bodies before and after collision are shown below:
BEFORE COLLISION AFTER COLLISION
-1
u1 = 5ms v1 = 1ms-1
-1
u2 = 2ms v2 = 4ms-1

(a) By using the law of conservation of momentum, find the ratio m1:m2 Ans: 1:2
(b) If m2 = 50kg, find the total kinetic energy of the bodies before collision Ans: 412.5J
(c) Find the total kinetic energy of the bodies after collision Ans:412.5J
(d) Was the collision elastic?

20ms-1
10. Force sensor

Wall
5ms-1

The diagram above shows a 100g steel ball shot horizontally at a wall.
If the ball rebounds with a velocity of 5ms-1, find:
a) The impulse generated during collision Ans: 2.5Ns
b) The change in momentum of the ball Ans:2.5kgms-1
c) The time of impact if the force sensor read the force of impact as 100N Ans: 0.025s
d) Sketch the Force-Time graph and indicate how the impulse if found.

11. After the collisions of the balls, find v1 and v2 v1

4kg

10ms-1 30°
4kg 2kg 60°
-1 -1
Ans: v1 = 8.66ms , v2 = 10.01ms

v2

2kg
 12. The 0.2kg ball whirled in a horizontal with angular velocity
-1
2rads . If the length of the string used to whirl the ball is 0.8m, find:
a) The tension acting on the string Ans: 0.64N
b) The period of the motion Ans: 3.14s
c) The speed of the ball moving in the circle Ans: 1.6ms-1

13. The 0.2kg ball is now whirled in a vertical circle with speed 4ms-1.
The length of the string remains 0.8m, hence find:
a) The tension of the string at the top of the circle Ans: 2.04N
b) The tension of the string at the bottom of the circle Ans: 5.96N
c) The angular velocity (angular frequency), w Ans: 5rads-1
d) The period, T Ans: 1.26s
e) The time of flight if the string breaks and the ball eventually hits
the floor Ans: 0.64s
f) The horizontal range of the ball. Ans: 2.55m

2m

14. The Conical pendulum makes an angle 30° with the vertical.
The length of the string that makes the pendulum is 1.2m and the mass
of the bob is 100g. If the speed of the bob moving in the circle is
1.84ms-1, find:
a) The radius of the circle, r Ans: 0.6m
b) The angular velocity, w Ans: 3.07rads-1
c) The period, T, of the bob moving in the circle Ans: 2.05s
d) The tension acting on the string Ans: 1.13N
e) The centripetal force acting on the bob Ans: 0.565N
 N

q W

15. The car of weight 10,00N moves around a banked circular track with a speed of 50ms-1.
If the radius of the track is 400m, find:

a) the angle of banking, q Ans: 32.5°

b) the reaction force of the track acting on the car, N Ans: 11,856.89N
(Remember: N always act 90° to the track)
c) the centripetal force acting on the car Ans: 6370.70N
d) the angular velocity of the car as it moves around the track Ans: 0.125rads-1
e) the time the car takes to complete one revolution of the track. Ans: 50.27s

16. A Mars rover is on the surface of Mars doing research for

NASA.
Find:
a) The gravitational field strength of Mars Ans: 3.69Nkg-1
b) The weight of the rover if its mass is 500kg Ans: 1843.48N
G = 6.67 ´ 10-11Nm2kg-2
Mars’ mass = 6.39 ´ 1023 kg
Mars’ radius = 3400km
Length of day on Mars (period of one revolution) = 25 hours

17. The satellite orbits Mars as the diagram suggests. If the mass of the satellite is 1000kg,
use the given information about Mars to find how far above the planet’s surface it
would need to maintain a Geostationary orbit.
Also find the speed of orbit of the satellite.
Ans: 17202376.75m
Ans: 1438.32ms-1
 18. Kubby, weight 800N, is balancing on a ladder, 2m from a wall.
The ladder’s base is 8m from the wall and its top is 10m from the ground. P
Finally, the ladder’s weight is 200N, hence find:
a) The reaction force of the ground acting on the ladder, R Ans: 1000N
b) The reaction force of the wall acting on the ladder’s top, P Ans: 560N
c) The frictional force between the ladder and the ground, F Ans: 560N
2m

R 800N
10m

200N
F
8m

19. A 26,000N SUV and a man was on a 24m bridge when one of the pillars holding the
bridge up, broke and fell. The bridge balanced on one pillar as in the diagram.
Use the laws of equilibrium to find:
a) The man’s mass Ans: 67.96kg
b) The reaction force acting up on the bridge from the single pillar, F Ans: 126,666.67N

2m
W
8m 2m

Pillar
Pillar
26,000N
100,000N
 20. The picture shows a beach ball floating in water of density 1000kgm-3.
If the radius of the ball is 20cm and 0.01 of its total volume is submerged in the water,
find:
#
a) The volume of the ball (Volume of sphere = $ pr3) Ans: 0.0335m3
b) The weight of the ball Ans: 3.29N
c) The mass of the ball Ans: 0.335kg

21.

A stranded submarine released a spherical escape pod which floated to the water’s surface
with a constant velocity.
The water density is 1025kgm-3 and the mass of the pod with occupants is 274,750kg.
If the radius of the pod is 4m, find:
a) The volume of the escape pod (Ans: 268.08m3)
b) The upthrust acting on the pod (Ans: 2,695,637.29N)
c) The drag (FD) acting on the pod (Ans: 339.79N)
d) The constant velocity of the pod if FD = 6v (Ans: 56.63ms-1)

22. A toy is pulled along the floor with a rope at an angle of 60°.
If the force of pull is 100N, Find:
a) the energy exerted in pulling the toy for 20m (Ans: 1000J) 100N
b) the power exerted if the toy is pulled 20m in 5s. (Ans: 200W)
c) the velocity of the toy as it is pulled (Ans: 2ms-1)
60°
 TENSION
BONUS QUESTIONS

30°

WIND (0.12N)

WEIGHT

23. A mango is displaced from its rest position by a steady wind during a recent storm.
The wind exerts a horizontal 0.12N force that makes the mango’s stem leans 30°, to the
vertical.
Find:
a) The tension acting on the mango’s stem Ans: 0.24N
b) The weight of the mango Ans: 0.207N
c) The mass of the mango (in grams). Ans: 21.2g

T 60°
F
a

24. A pendulum is leaning 60°to the vertical as it is attached to the roof of a 1200kg car that
is steadily accelerating.
If the mass of the pendulum bob is 100g, find:
a) The tension (T) acting on the string Ans: 1.962N
b) The force (F) causing the pendulum to lean Ans: 1.700N
c) The acceleration (a) of the car Ans: 17ms-2
 EXAMPLE:

FR
W

!
A 1000kg Miata driving up an incline (Sinq = !%) at constant velocity 12ms-1,
encounters a constant frictional force of 5000N. To maintain this velocity up the incline,
find: !
a) The force (F) needed to move the car up the incline q = Sin-1(!%) = 6°
b) Find the power the engine must produce
c) The reaction force (N) of the road acting up on the car
SOLUTION:
The component of the weight (W Sinq) and the frictional force
both act along the road, holding back the car.
Since the car moves at constant velocity, the force pulling the
car, F = FR + W Sinq
!
\ F = 5000 + (9180 ´ !%) = 5918N
a) F = 5918N

b) Power = F ´ v = 5918 ´ 12 = 71,016W

F
c) Reaction Force, N = W Cosq = 9180 ´ Cos6 = 9129N

FR q

W Sinq W Cosq

W
25. A 737MAX took off from rest accelerating 4ms-2 in 5s. The engines were then turned on
to full power and accelerated 6ms-2 to its takeoff speed of 80ms-1.
Calculate:
a) The length of the takeoff roll (runway length) Ans: 550m
b) The total time of takeoff Ans: 15s
c) Sketch the velocity-time graph (including values) of the entire takeoff roll.

26. The fully loaded 737MAX is taking off with a total mass of 70,000kg at an angle of
30° to the horizontal. The takeoff velocity remains 80ms-1 and the drag force is 6800N.
Find:
a) The force the jet engines provide to maintain the takeoff
b) The power of the jet engines (Ans: 5.548 ´ 107W)

a) Ans: 693,500N

30°

27. The 737MAX now turns with a radius of 212m at a banking angle of q.
The mass of the aircraft remains at 70,000kg and its turn speed is maintained at 60ms-1.
Calculate:
a) The centripetal force acting on the plane (Ans: 1,189,399.29N)
b) The banking angle of the wings (Ans: 60°)
c) The lift acting on the plane. (Ans: 1,373,400N)
Lift

Centripetal force
q

Weight