1980 Applied Maths Higher Level Questions

1.
A boat has to travel by the shortest route to the point 4.25⃗j km and then return immediately to its starting
point at the origin.
The velocity of the water is (8√ 2 ⃗i – 8√ 2 ⃗j ) km/hour and the boat has a speed of 18 km/hour in still
water.
(i) If a⃗i + b⃗j is the velocity of the boat on the outward journey, find a and b and the time taken for the
outward journey, leaving your answer in surd form.
(ii) Find, also, the time taken for the whole journey.

2.
A body of weight W is supported by two vertical inextensible
strings at a and b as in diagram where |ab|= 10cm.
The tensions in the strings are T1 and T2 and the string of tension T1 makes an angle 450
with ab.
The centre of gravity of the body is at g, the centre of [ab] is c and cg ⊥ ab.

Express |cd| in terms of W and T1 and hence find the distance of g from ab in terms of W
and T1.

3.
u = ucosα ⃗i + usinα⃗j , where ⃗i is along the horizontal.
A projectile is fired with initial velocity ⃗
A plane P passes through the point of projection and makes an angle β with the horizontal.
2u sin (α−β )
(i) If the projectile strikes the plane P at right angles to P after time t, show that t = g cos β and
deduce that 2tan(α – β)tanβ = 1.
π
(ii) If α – β = 4 , find in terms of u and g the range of the projectile along P.

4.
State and prove the relationship between the coefficient of friction μ and the angle of
friction λ.

The diagram shows a particle of weight W on a rough plane making an angle α with the
horizontal.
The particle is acted upon by a force F whose line of action makes an angle θ with the
line of greatest slope.
The particle is just on the point of moving up the plane.
W sin(α−λ )
(i) Draw a diagram showing the forces acting on the particle and prove that F = cos (θ−λ )
If the particle is just on the point of moving up the plane, deduce
(ii) the force acting up along the plane that would achieve this
(iii) the horizontal force that would achieve it
(iv)the minimum force that would achieve it.
5.
(a)
Two imperfectly elastic spheres of equal mass moving horizontally along the same straight line impinge and,
as a result one of them is brought to rest.
Show that whatever be the value of the coefficient of restitution, e < 1, they must have been moving in
opposite directions.

(b)
A sphere A of mass m kg moving with a speed u m/s on a smooth on a smooth
horizontal table impinges on a smooth plane bc.
This plane is inclined to the table at an angle α and the line of intersection of it with the
table is at right angles to the direction of motion of the sphere.
Write down the components of the velocity of A perpendicular to the plane and parallel
to the plane before impact and show that eusinα is the velocity of A perpendicular to the plane after impact
when e is the coefficient of restitution between the sphere and the plane.
Find the magnitude of the impulse due to the impact.

6.
If a string whose elastic constant is k is stretched a distance x beyond its natural length, show that the work
done is ½kx2.

A particle of mass m is on a rough horizontal plane and is connected to a fixed point p in the plane by a light
string of elastic constant k.
Initially the string is just taut and the particle is projected along the plane directly away from p with initial
speed u against a constant resistance F.
Find an expression for the distance x travelled by the particle.
Noting that the particle will just return to its point of projection if the potential energy at any point is equal
to the work done up to that point in overcoming F, show that kmu2 = 8F 2.

7.
(a)
(i) Establish the moment of inertia of a uniform rod about an axis through its centre perpendicular to the
rod.
(ii) State the parallel axes theorem.

(b)
A thin uniform rod of length 2l and of mass m has a mass of 2m attached at its mid-point.
Find the positions of a point in the rod about which the rod (with attached mass) may oscillate as a
compound pendulum, having period equal to that of a simple pendulum of length l.
8.
(a)
A particle is moving in a straight line such that its distance x from a fixed point at time t is given by
x = r cos ωt.
Show that the particle is moving with simple harmonic motion.

(b)
A particle is moving in a straight line with simple harmonic motion.
When it is at a point p1 of distance 0.8 m from the mean-centre, its speed is 6 m/s and when it is at a point p2
if distance 0.2 m from the end position on the same side of the mean-centre as p1, its magnitude is of
magnitude 24 m/s2.
2 r −0 . 2
= 2
If r is the amplitude of the motion, show that 3 r −0. 64 and hence find the value of r.
Find also the period of the motion and the shortest time taken between p1 and p2 correct to two places of
decimals.

9.
(a)
d2 y 2 dy
+ 3 =0 =√ 2
and x = √ 2 when y = 1.
2
Solve the differential equation dx y given that dx
(b)
A car starts from rest.
When it is at a distance s from its starting point, its speed is v and its acceleration is 5 – v2.
Show that vdv = (5 – v2)ds and find as accurately as the tables allow its speed when s = 1.5.

10.
(a)
A vessel is in the form of a frustum of a right circular cone.
It contains liquid to a depth h and at that depth the area of the free surface of the liquid is ¼ of the area of the
base.
Find in simplest surd form the ratio of the thrust on the base due to the liquid to the weight of the liquid.

(b)
A piece of wood and a piece of metal weigh 14 N and 6 N respectively.
When combined together the compound body weighs 1.9 N in water.
Given that the specific gravity of the metal is 10, find the specific gravity of the wood.