HARARE POLYTECHNIC

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

DUE 20/07/2022

QUESTION 1

a) A vehicle weighing 20KN is travelling at a maximum speed of 3.5km/h along a level ground route.
The frictional resistance to the motion is constant at 0.8KN.If this vehicle starts moving up of a slope
1 in 22 the engine developing the same power so that the speed of the car falls until it is steady.
Determine this speed. [10]

b)1) A 7m long joist of mass 12kg is raised by pulling the rope connected to it as shown in FIG1
below.Find the tension T in the rope and the reaction at A. [10]

T 30o

A 45o

FIG1

QUESTION 2

Two inclined planes AC and BC inclined at 60o and 30o to the horizontal meet at a ridge as shown in
FIG 2. A load of 1000N rests on the inclined plane BXC and is tied to a rope which passes over a
smooth pulley at the ridge to the other end of the rope being connected to a block weighing W (N)
and resting on the plane AC.If the coefficient f friction between the load and the plane BC is 0.28 and
that between the block and the plane AC is 0.2,determine the least and greatest value of W for the
equilibrium of the whole system.[20]

W 1000N

60o 30o

FIG 2 A B

1
QUESTION 3

A warren truss shown below carries a load of 10kN at the lower mid joint as shown in FIG 3 below.

find the magnitude and nature of forces in members B-E,C-E,B-C and D-E [20]

B C 5KN

3m

A 60o E 60o D
3m 3m

10kN
FIG 3

QUESTION 4.

A screw jack with a square thread has a mean diameter 62.5mm and pitch of 12.5mm.The load on
the jack revolves with the screw.The coefficient of friction at the screw thread is 0.05.

Find
a. The force required to lift the load of 540N [9]
b. The tangential force required to lift the same load at a radius of 300mm [5]
c. Show that the screw is not self-locking [6]

ASS 2 DUE 10/09/2022

QUESTION 1

A cantilever beam of span 2m carries a UDL of 5KN/m over the whole span as shown in FIG 4 below
with A,B,C,D and E equally spaced along the cantilever. Construct the shear force and bending
moment diagrams of the beam.[20]

A B C D E FIG 4

2m

2
 QUESTION 2

A basketball is tossed from a point 1.5m above the ground at an angle of 300 to the horizontal.

a. Determine velocity of projection of the basketball.[12]

QUESTION 3

a.Define radius of gyration (3)

b.Find the centroid of the thin plate between x-axis,x=0 and y=5 and the the curve y=px² as shown in
FIG 5 below.Given that y=5 when x=4.

y 5

y=px²

[17]

FIG 5

Q.7 A stone is thrown from the top of a tower 30m high on a horizontal ground. The speed of
projection is 15m/s and the initial direction of motion is 30o to the downward vertical.

Calculate:

I. time of flight [13]

QUESTION 4 x

a. Define:
I. pascal’s law [3]
II. Centre of pressure [3]
b. A rectangular sluice gate 6m deep and 2m wide covers an opening in the vertical wall of a
water channel.The top edge is 3m below the free water surface and hinged to the
wall.The lower edge is bolted to the wall a shown in FIG 6 below. Centre of hinge is in line
with the top opening edge.[14]
Calculate:
I. the resultant water thrust on the sluice gate
II. The force acting on the bolt.

3
 3m
4m

bolt

FIG 6

5.a.A drum has a mass of 200kg and a radius of gyration of 0.8m.It is rotated by a chain drive.The

sprocket on the drum has an effective diameter of 0.3m.The force in the chain is a constant value of
120N.

Calculate the time taken to accelerate it up to 20 Revs per minute.[8]

b.Two masses of 15kg and 5kg are tied to the ends of a light string passing over a composite pulley
of radius of gyration 70mm and mass 4kg as shown below. Find the following;

a. The tensions in the strings [4]

d1=0.1m

M2=5kg M1=15kg