Jan.

2025, Beykoz University

PHYSICS LABORATORY I, Problems & Exercises
1) An object released from a height of ℎ above the ground in an environment where air resistance is negligible hits the
ground after 4𝑠 (g= 9.80𝑚/𝑠2).
a. What is the speed of the object hitting the ground in “𝑚/𝑠”?
b. What is the distance of fall (ℎ height) in “𝑚”?

2) An object released from a height of 2ℎ above the ground takes the first ℎ distance in 𝑡1 and the second ℎ distance in
𝑡2 . The total fall time for a fall distance of 2ℎ is given as 𝑡1 + 𝑡2 .

t1
a. Accordingly, What is ratio?
t2

b. Is the free-falling motion of an object a uniformly accelerated motion with constant acceleration?

3) Draw the y - 𝒕 and y - 𝒕𝟐 graphs of a tennis ball falling freely from a height of 150m on millimeter paper.

4) A ball with a mass of m=7g is in free fall motion as shown in the experimental setup below. The recorded time (t) values
for the different “y” distances between two photogates are given in the table below.

a) Draw the y - 𝒕𝟐 graph on millimeter paper. Find the experimental gravitational acceleration ( g′ ) from the slope of
the curve.
b) Draw the y - 𝒕 graph on millimeter paper. Find the instantaneous speed value at t=0.5s from the slope of the drawn
tangent line.
 MEASURED
Mass of ball 𝑚(𝑘𝑔) Square of Fall Time
Fall Distance 𝑦(𝑚) Fall Time 𝑡(𝑠) 𝑡 2 (𝑠 2 )

y1 = 0.25 0.22

𝑚 = 0.007 y2 = 0.5 0.31

y3 = 1.0 0.44

y4 = 2.0 0.63

5) For a simple pendulum on earth with a period of 3 s

a) What is the required rope length?

b) What is the required rope length for a person who wants to find the same period on the Mars? (gravitational
acceleration on Mars is 𝑔𝑚 = 3.72 𝑚/𝑠 2 )
6) A simple pendulum consists of an object that performs periodic motion. The simple pendulum object is released from
the point 𝑡 = 0 (point B), where the rope makes an angle 𝜃 with the vertical. When the pendulum reaches its lowest
point of oscillation (point A), its potential energy is converted into the kinetic energy.

Using the conservation of mechanical energy, derive an expression for the maximum speed of the object.
7) The figure of simple pendulum is shown below. The bob (object) is released from 𝜃 = 90°. Show and calculate the forces
acting on the bob of the pendulum and string at 90°, 45°, and 0°. (The length of string is l = 0.5m. The mass of bob is
m=20g. The tension on the string is T and g=9.8 m⁄s 2 )

8) As shown in the figure below, a simple pendulum with length of 𝑙 is released from a height y=h. The string makes an
angle of θ=10° with the vertical. The speed of 𝒗 measured by the photosensor as the simple pendulum passes through
a height y=0 is given in the table below. Find the expected speeds 𝒗 and the Relative Percentage Errors (RPE) for
different lengths of 𝑙 using the conservation of energy formula. (g=9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2 )

Test Parameters Measured Expected

Angle Length Measured Speed by Calculated Speed with Relative

Potosensor Conservation of Energy Percentage
Error (%)
 (º) 𝑙 (m) 𝑣2 = 𝑣 𝑣2 = 𝑣

0.50 0.64

10 0.60 0.60

0.65 0.56

9) The data for a toy car (cart) moving on a frictionless inclined plane are given in the table below.

a) Draw x – t2 graph on millimeter paper. Find the acceleration of the movement from the slope of the x – t2
graph.

b) Draw the x – t graph on millimeter paper. Find the instantaneous speed at t=0.8s on the drawn x – t graph.
(Reminder: The slope (m) of the tangent line drawn to the point on the curve corresponding to any time in the
position-time graph gives the instantaneous speed at that time)
 Measured Timer Graph Experimental Experimental

Angle of Displacement Time Slope Acceleration of Speed Instantaneous Velocity

inclination
t = 0.8

𝜃 (𝑑𝑒𝑟) 𝑥(𝑚) 𝑡(𝑠) 𝑡2(𝑠2) Slope(𝑚/𝑠2) 𝑎(𝑚⁄𝑠2) v(𝑚⁄𝑠)

0.2 0.45

0.4 0.64

10 0.6 0.75

0.8 0.97

1.0 1.02

10) What force must be applied to a 50.0 kg box on a frictionless plane inclined at 30° to cause an acceleration of 2.0 m/s2
up the plane?

11) A 3.00-kg block starts from rest at the top of a 30.0° incline and slides a distance of 2.00 m down the incline in 1.50s.
Find
(a) the magnitude of the acceleration (a) of the block,
(b) the coefficient of kinetic friction (𝝁) between block and plane,
(c) the friction force (𝐟⃑) acting on the block, and
(d) the speed (v) of the block after it has slid 2.00 m
12) In the diagram below, three cases are shown, case (i): just before collision, case (ii): just after the collision, and case
(iii): maximum swing. In the ballistic pendulum system; explain how the laws of conservation of momentum and energy
are used in cases (i), (ii) ve (iii) with the necassary formulas.

(i) (ii) (iii)

13) The data for the ballistic pendulum experiment are given in the table below. Is the mechanical energy of the ball is
conserved when the case (i, just before collision) and case (iii, maximum swing) are compared eachother? If the
mechanical energy is not conserved, determine the percentage of energy loss. (Hint: derive the “v” in case (i) from the
the time (t) value read from the photosensor. Ball diameter d = 15.85 mm) (The mass of ball m= 16.4g, the mass of the
pendulum block M=44.6g, the center of the ballistic pendulum system 𝑅𝐶𝑀 = 265mm)

Measured Calculated Experimental (by Photogate) Calculated

Launcher Maximum Height

Ball (just before collision)
Maximum Angle
h = RCM (1 − cos ) İnitial Horizontal Velocity
v (m / sn)
Range (º) h(m) 𝑡(𝑠)

Short 30 0.035 0.0155

Long 66 0.157 0.0024

14) A bullet with speed of 𝒗𝟏 and mass of 30 g collide with a ballistic pendulum with a mass of 900 g and the pendulum
swings up to the maximum height of 40 cm

a) What is the speed of 𝒗𝟏 of the bullet just before it hits the pendulum? (g =9.8 m/s2)
b) Calculate the loss of mechanical energy in the collision.
15) A ball thrown from the top of a building has an initial speed of 𝑣0 =20 m/s at an angle of 𝜃0 =30º above the horizontal.
The building is 40 m high and the ball takes time t′ before hitting the ground, see the Figure below. Take g = 9.8 m/s2.

(a) Find the time t1 for the ball to reach its highest point.
(b) How high will it rise? (maximum height?)
(c) How long will it take to return to the level (that is, y=0) of the thrower?
(d) Find the time of flight t′ .
(e) What is the horizontal distance (range) covered by the ball during this time?
(f) What is the velocity (𝑣⃑) of the ball before striking the ground?

16) A ship maneuvers to within 2.5x103 m of an island’s 1.8x103 m high mountain peak and fires a projectile at an enemy
ship 6.10x102 m on the other side of the peak, as illustrated below. If the ship shoots the projectile with an initial
velocity of 𝒗𝒊 =2.5x102 m/s at an angle of 75°, how close to the enemy ship does the projectile land ? How close
(vertically) does the projectile come to the peak?
17) A basketball player throws a ball at an angle θ = 60º above the horizontal, as shown in the Figure below. At what speed
must he throw the ball to score?

18) A ball thrown with θ=20° to the horizontal axis and an initial velocity of 𝑣𝑜 = 5 𝑚/𝑠 falls on the carbon paper after
t=1.2 s. Find the horizontal range (x), vertical height (y) and final speed (𝑣𝑠 ) when it hits the carbon paper.

19) The flight time of the ball thrown with θ=60° to the horizontal axis is 𝑡 𝑓𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = 1.4 𝑠. The horizontal range (x) and
vertical height (y) of the ball are measured with a ruler as 2.94 m and 4.51 m respectively. Find the initial velocity (𝑣𝑜 ).