Program : BS in Civil Engineering

Lecturer : Engr. Jonathan L. Argao

Name :_____________________________ Date:__________________

PROBLEM SET 1: RECTILINEAR MOTION WITH VARIABLE ACCELERATION

Direction: Solve the following problems. Present your solution neatly in engineering lettering.
Format: PDF
Submission: December 21, 2023 at exactly 11:59PM via MS Teams

SITUATION 1. The position coordinate of a particle which is confined to move along a straight line is given by, s=
2𝑡 3 − 24𝑡 + 6 where s is measured in meters from a convenient origin and t is in seconds.
a) Determine the time required for the particle to reach a velocity of 72m/s from its initial condition at t = 0.
b) Determine the acceleration of the particle when v = 30m/s?
c) Determine the net displacement of the particle during the interval from t = 1sec to t = 4sec.

SITUATION 2. A particle moves along the x-axis with an initial velocity 𝑣𝑥 = 50𝑓𝑡/𝑠𝑒𝑐 at the origin when t = 0.
For the first 4 seconds it has no acceleration, and thereafter it is acted on by a retarding force which gives it a constant
𝑓𝑡
acceleration 𝑎𝑥 = −10 2 . Calculate the velocity and the x-coordinate of the particle for the conditions of t = 8sec and
𝑠
t = 12 sec and find the maximum positive x-coordinate reached by the particle.

SITUATION 3. The spring-mounted slider moves in the horizontal guide with negligible friction and has a velocity
𝑣0 in the s-direction as it crosses the mid-position where s = 0 and t= 0. The two springs together exert a retarding
force to the motion of the slider, which gives it an acceleration proportional to the displacement but oppositely
directed and equal to 𝑎 = −𝑘 2 𝑠, where k is constant. (The constant is arbitrarily squared for later convenience in the
form of the expressions.) Determine the expressions for the displacement s and velocity v as function of the time t.

SITUATION 4. A freighter is moving at a speed of 8 knots when its engines are suddenly stopped. If it takes 10
minutes for the freighter to reduce its speed to 4 knots, determine and plot the distance s in nautical miles moved by
the ship and its speed v in knots as functions of the time t during this interval. The deceleration of the ship is
proportional to the square of its speed, so that a 𝑎 = −𝑘𝑣 2 . Note: One knot is the speed of nautical mile (6076 ft) per
hour. Work directly in the units of nautical miles and hours.

SITUATION 5. The velocity of a particle which moves along the x-axis is given by 𝑣 = 2 − 4𝑡 + 5𝑡 3/2 , where t is in
seconds and v is in meters per second. Evaluate the position x, velocity v, and acceleration a when t = 3s. The particle
is at the position 𝑥0 = 3𝑚 when t = 0.

SITUATION 6. The displacement of the particle which moves along the x-axis is given by x = (-2 + 3t)𝑒 −0.5𝑡 , where
t is in seconds and x is in meters. Determine the time at which the acceleration is zero.

SITUATION 7. The acceleration of a particle is given by 𝑎 = −𝑘 2 𝑠, where a is in meters per second squared, k is a
constant, and s is in meters. Determine the velocity of the particle as a function of its position s. Evaluate your
expression for s = 5m if k = 0.1𝑚−1 𝑠 −2 and the initial conditions at time t = 0 are 𝑠0 = 3𝑚 and 𝑣0 = 10𝑚/𝑠.

SITUATION 8. A balls is thrown vertically up with a velocity of 30m/s at the edge of a 60m cliff. Calculate the
height h to which the ball rises and thee total time t after release for the ball to reach the bottom of the cliff. Neglect
air resistance and take the downward acceleration to be 9.82m/𝑠 2 .
SITUATION 9. A small projectile is fired vertically downward into a fluid medium with an initial velocity of 60m/s.
Due to the drag resistance of the fluid the projectile experiences a deceleration of 𝑎 = −0.4𝑣 3 𝑚/𝑠 2 , where v is in
m/s. Determine the projectile’s velocity and position 4 s after it is fired.

SITUATION 10. A metallic particle is subjected to the influence of a magnetic field as it travels downward through a
fluid that extends from plate A to plate B, Figure 1. If the particle is released from rest at the midpoint C, s = 100 mm,
and the acceleration is a = (4s) 𝑚/𝑠 2 , where s is in meters, determine the velocity of the particle when it reaches plate
B, s = 200 mm, and the time it takes to travel from C to B.

Figure 1

SITUATION 11. Initially, the car travels along a straight road with a speed of 35 m/s. If the brakes are applied and the
speed of the car is reduced to 10 m/s in 15 s, determine the constant deceleration of the car.

SITUATION 12. A particle travels along a straight line with a velocity of v = (20 - 0.05𝑠 2 ) m/s, where s is in meters.
Determine the acceleration of the particle at s = 15 m.

SITUATION 13. The acceleration of a rocket traveling upward is given by 𝑎 = (6 + 0.02𝑠)𝑚/𝑠 2 , where s is in
meters. Determine the time and velocity needed for the rocket to reach an altitude of s =100m. Initially, v= 0 and s= 0
when t = 0.

SITUATION 14. If the position of a particle is defined by its coordinates x = 4𝑡 2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦 = 3𝑡 3 , where x and y are in
meters and t is in seconds, determine the x and y components of velocity and acceleration and construct the path
y=f(x).

SITUTATION 15. The velocity of a 1220kg missile is measured by radar from t = 0 to t = 6 sec. and is determined to
be 𝑉 = (320 + 60𝑡)𝑖 + (400 − 12𝑡 2 )𝑗 𝑚/𝑠.
a. Determine the velocity of the missile at t=3sec.
b. Determine the acceleration of the missile at t =3sec.
c. Determine the magnitude of the total force acting on the missile.