Questions – Mechanics 1 – Unit 3

Q1.

A particle P is moving with constant acceleration (−4i + j)ms−2

At time t = 0, P has velocity (14i − 5j)ms−1

(a) Find the speed of P at time t = 2 seconds.

(3)
(b) Find the size of the angle between the direction of i and the direction of motion of P at time t = 2
seconds.
(3)
At time t = T seconds, P is moving in the direction of vector (2i − 3j)

(c) Find the value of T

(4)

(Total for question = 10 marks)

Q2.

[In this question, i and j are horizontal unit vectors directed due east and due north respectively and
position vectors are given relative to a fixed origin O.]

Two ships, A and B, are moving with constant velocities.

The velocity of A is (3i + 12j) kmh–1 and the velocity of B is (pi + qj) kmh–1

(a) Find the speed of A.

(2)
The ships are modelled as particles.

At 12 noon, A is at the point with position vector (–9i + 6j) km and B is at the point with position vector
(16i + 6j)km.

At time t hours after 12 noon,

(b) Find the value of p and the value of q.

(7)
(c) Find the bearing of A from B when the ships are 15 km apart, giving your answer to the nearest
degree.
(7)

(Total for question = 16 marks)

Q3.

The position vector, r metres, of a particle P at time t seconds, relative to a fixed origin O, is given by

r = (t – 3)i + (1 – 2t)j

(a) Find, to the nearest degree, the size of the angle between r and the vector j, when t = 2
(3)
(b) Find the values of t for which the distance of P from O is 2.5 m.
(5)

(Total for question = 8 marks)

Q4.

[In this question i and j are horizontal unit vectors directed due east and due north respectively and
position vectors are given relative to a fixed origin.]

At 7 am a ship leaves a port and moves with constant velocity. The position vector of the port is (–2i + 9j)
km.

At 7.36 am the ship is at the point with position vector (4i + 6j) km.

(a) Show that the velocity of the ship is (10i – 5j) km h–1
(2)
(b) Find the position vector of the ship t hours after leaving port.
(2)
At 8.48 am a passenger on the ship notices that a lighthouse is due east of the ship.

At 9 am the same passenger notices that the lighthouse is now north east of the ship.

(c) Find the position vector of the lighthouse.

(4)
(d) Find the position vector of the ship when it is due south of the lighthouse.
(4)

(Total for question = 12 marks)

Q5.

[In this question i and j are horizontal unit vectors directed due east and due north respectively and
position vectors are given relative to a fixed origin.]

A ship A moves with constant velocity (3i – 10j) km h−1

At time t hours, the position vector of A is r km.

At time t = 0, A is at the point with position vector (13i + 5j) km.

(a) Find r in terms of t.

(2)
Another ship B moves with constant velocity (15i + 14j) km h −1

At time t = 0, B is at the point with position vector (3i – 5j) km.

(b) Show that, at time t hours,

= [(12t − 10)i + (24t − 10)j]km

(4)
Given that the two ships do not change course,

(c) find the shortest distance between the two ships,

(6)
(d) find the bearing of ship B from ship A when the ships are closest.
(2)

(Total for question = 14 marks)

Q6.

A particle P is moving with constant acceleration.

At time t = 1 second, P has velocity (–i + 4j) m s–1

At time t = 4 seconds, P has velocity (5i – 8j) m s–1

Find the speed of P at time t = 3.5 seconds.

(Total for question = 6 marks)

Q7.

[In this question,i and j are horizontal unit vectors directed due east and due north respectively and
position vectors are given relative to a fixed origin O.]

Two boats, P and Q, are moving with constant velocities.

The velocity of P is 15i m s–1 and the velocity of Q is (20i – 20j) m s–1

(a) Find the direction in which Q is travelling, giving your answer as a bearing.
(2)
The boats are modelled as particles.

At time t = 0 , P is at the origin O and Q is at the point with position vector 200j m.

At time t seconds, the position vector of P is p m and the position vector of Q is q m.

(b) Show that

= [5ti + (200 – 20t)j] m

(5)
(c) Find the bearing of P from Q when t = 10
(2)
(d) Find the distance between P and Q when Q is north east of P
(5)
(e) Find the times when P and Q are 200 m apart.
(3)

(Total for question = 17 marks)

Q8.

A square floor space ABCD, with centre O, is modelled as a flat horizontal surface measuring 50 m by 50
m, as shown in Figure 5.

The horizontal unit vectors i and j are in the direction of and respectively.

All position vectors are given relative to O.

A small robot R is programmed to travel across the floor at a constant velocity.

• At time t = 0 , R is at the point with position vector (-2i + j) m

• At time t = 11 s , R is at the point with position vector (9i + 23j) m
• At time t seconds, the position vector of R is r metres

(a) Find, in terms of t, i and j, an expression for r

(3)
A second robot S is at the point C.

• At time t = 0 , S leaves C and moves with constant velocity (-i - j) m s-1

• At time t seconds, the position vector of S is s metres

(b) Write down, in terms of t, i and j, an expression for s

(1)
(c) Show that

(2)
(d) Find the time when the distance between R and S is a minimum.
(3)

(Total for question = 9 marks)

Q9.

[In this question, the horizontal unit vectors i and j are directed due east and due north respectively and
position vectors are given relative to a fixed origin O.]

Two speedboats, A and B, are each moving with constant velocity.

• the velocity of A is 40 km h−1 due east

• the velocity of B is 20 km h−1 on a bearing of angle α (0° < α < 90°), where

The boats are modelled as particles.

(a) Find, in terms of i and j, the velocity of B in km h−1

(2)
At noon

• the position vector of A is 20j km

• the position vector of B is (10i + 5j) km

At time t hours after noon

• the position vector of A is r km, where r = 20j + 40ti

• the position vector of B is s km

(b) Find an expression for s in terms of t, i and j.

(2)
(c) Show that at time t hours after noon,

(2)
(d) Show that the boats will never collide.
(3)
(e) Find the distance between the boats when the bearing of B from A is 225°
(4)

(Total for question = 13 marks)

Mark Scheme
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.
Q6.

Q7.
Q8.
Q9.