Paper Reference(s)

6680/01
Edexcel GCE
Mechanics M4
Advanced Level
Thursday 15 June 2006  Afternoon
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Materials required for examination Items included with question papers

Mathematical Formulae (Green) Nil

Candidates may use any calculator EXCEPT those with the facility for symbolic algebra,
differentiation and/or integration. Thus candidates may NOT use calculators such as the
Texas Instruments TI 89, TI 92, Casio CFX 9970G, Hewlett Packard HP 48G.

Instructions to Candidates
In the boxes on the answer book, write the name of the examining body (Edexcel), your centre
number, candidate number, the unit title (Mechanics M4), the paper reference (6680), your
surname, other name and signature.
Whenever a numerical value of g is required, take g = 9.8 m s2.
When a calculator is used, the answer should be given to an appropriate degree of accuracy.

Information for Candidates

A booklet ‘Mathematical Formulae and Statistical Tables’ is provided.
Full marks may be obtained for answers to ALL questions.
The marks for individual questions and the parts of questions are shown in round brackets: e.g. (2).
There are 7 questions on this paper. The total mark for this paper is 75.

Advice to Candidates
You must ensure that your answers to parts of questions are clearly labelled.
You must show sufficient working to make your methods clear to the Examiner. Answers
without working may gain no credit.

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This publication may only be reproduced in accordance with Edexcel Limited copyright policy.
©2006 Edexcel Limited.
1. At noon, a boat P is on a bearing of 120° from boat Q. Boat P is moving due east at a constant
speed of 12 km h–1. Boat Q is moving in a straight line with a constant speed of 15 km h–1 on a
course to intercept P. Find the direction of motion of Q, giving your answer as a bearing.
(5)

2. A smooth uniform sphere S of mass m is moving on a smooth horizontal plane when it collides
with a fixed smooth vertical wall. Immediately before the collision, the speed of S is U and its
direction of motion makes an angle  with the wall. The coefficient of restitution between S and
the wall is e. Find the kinetic energy of S immediately after the collision.
(6)

3. A cyclist C is moving with a constant speed of 10 m s–1 due south. Cyclist D is moving with a
constant speed of 16 m s–1 on a bearing of 240°.

(a) Show that the magnitude of the velocity of C relative to D is 14 m s–1.

(3)

At 2 pm, D is 4 km due east of C.

(b) Find
(i) the shortest distance between C and D during the subsequent motion,
(ii) the time, to the nearest minute, at which this shortest distance occurs.
(7)

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4. Figure 1
P R

2l


A uniform rod PQ has mass m and length 2l. A small smooth light ring is fixed to the end P of
the rod. This ring is threaded on to a fixed horizontal smooth straight wire. A second small
smooth light ring R is threaded on to the wire and is attached by a light elastic string, of natural
length l and modulus of elasticity kmg, to the end Q of the rod, where k is a constant.


(a) Show that, when the rod PQ makes an angle  with the vertical, where 0 <   , and Q is
3
vertically below R, as shown in Figure 1, the potential energy of the system is

mgl [2k cos2  – (2k + 1) cos  ] + constant.

(7)

Given that there is a position of equilibrium with  > 0,

(b) show that k > 1

2 .
(5)

5. A train of mass m is moving along a straight horizontal railway line. A time t, the train is
moving with speed v and the resistance to motion has magnitude kv, where k is a constant. The
engine of the train is working at a constant rate P.

dv
(a) Show that, when v > 0, mv + kv2 = P.
dt
(3)

1 P
When t = 0, the speed of the train is  .
3 k

(b) Find, in terms of m and k, the time taken for the train to double its initial speed.
(8)

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6. Figure 2

45
U

A
m

B
2m

U
45
L

Two small smooth spheres A and B, of equal size and of mass m and 2m respectively, are
moving initially with the same speed U on a smooth horizontal floor. The spheres collide when
their centres are on a line L. Before the collision the spheres are moving towards each other,
with their directions of motion perpendicular to each other and each inclined at an angle of 45°
to the line L, as shown in Figure 2. The coefficient of restitution between the spheres is 12 .

(a) Find the magnitude of the impulse which acts on A in the collision.
(9)

Figure 3

d WALL

The line L is parallel to and a distance d from a smooth vertical wall, as shown in Figure 3.

(b) Find, in terms of d, the distance between the points at which the spheres first strike the wall.
(5)

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7. Figure 4

P l

B


A light elastic spring has natural length l and modulus of elasticity 4mg. One end of the spring is
attached to a point A on a plane that is inclined to the horizontal at an angle , where tan  = 34 .
The other end of the spring is attached to a particle P of mass m. The plane is rough and the
coefficient of friction between P and the plane is 12 . The particle P is held at a point B on the
plane where B is below A and AB = l, with the spring lying along a line of greatest slope of the
plane, as shown in Figure 4. At time t = 0, the particle is projected up the plane towards A with
speed 12 (gl). At time t, the compression of the spring is x.

d2x g
(a) Show that + 4 2x = –g, where  =  .
dt 2 l
(6)
(b) Find x in terms of l,  and t.
(7)
(c) Find the distance that P travels up the plane before first coming to rest.
(4)

TOTAL FOR PAPER: 75 MARKS

END

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