HKIPhO Training Class Mechanics Assignment 3 Solution

1. Find out the center of mass for the following objects:

(a) A solid sphere with uniform density.
(b) A solid rectangular box with length, width, height equal to a, b, c respectively and
with uniform density.
(c) Two masses M and m joined by a rigid rod with negligible mass and length d.
(a) & (b) = center
(c) = a point with distance
m M
md
x
+

from M.
2. A car wheel with radius R is rolling on the ground without slipping. The velocity of
the centre of the wheel is v
0
. Derive the equation of motion at a point on the rim of the
wheel.

R , v
0
,
o
o
v
R
t R t v x t R y

2 2
), sin( )), cos( 1 ( +
Solving the equations, we obtain
2 1
2 ) 1 ( cos y yR
R
y
R x +

.
3. A ladder with length 2l and mass P leans on a smooth wall. The other end of the
ladder rests on the ground with coefficient of static friction . The angle between the
ground and the ladder is . A man weighted P
1
climbs up the ladder. Find out the
conditions for the ladder to remain stable when the distance between the man and the
lower terminal of the ladder is h.

2l P, , ., . P
1,

, h , .
A

1
P
h

B
Let F
1
=normal force acting on ground at point B, and f be corresponding friction
force.
1
F f < . Let F
2
be normal force acting on wall at point A. Notice that for
smooth (frictionless) wall, F
2
must be perpendicular to the wall.
1
Force balance equations
x-direction: ) 1 (
2
f F
y-direction: ) 2 (
1 1
P P F +
Torque balance equation (about point B)
) 3 ( 0 cos cos sin ) 2 (
1 2
h P Pl l F
Solving (1) and (3), we get ) ( cot
2
1 1
1
P P F
l
h P Pl
f +
+
.
1 1
1
tan
) ( 2
P
Pl
P
P P l
h
+
<

.
(= Stability condition)
4. A rocket with initial mass m moves horizontally at speed v and ejects exhaust gas
(which is the product of combustion) continuously. It is known that the mass of
exhaust gas released is m at a time interval t. The speed of the gas relative to
ground is u. What is the propelling force that the rocket obtains through this process?
m v ,
, t m, u,
?
u v
Conservation of momentum
m v m u v v m
m u v v m m mv
r

+ +
) (
) )( (
to leading order, where v
r
is the relative velocity of exhaust gas to the rocket.
Therefore,
t
m
v
t
v
m
r

= instantaneous force acting on the rocket.

5. An object with cross section being a right-angled triangle ABC (see figure) is placed
on a horizontal table surface. The mass of the object is M. The angle between AB and
AC is . The height of B relative to the table surface is h. A small mass m is placed at
A, which is at the bottom of the inclined plane AB. Initially, both objects are
stationary. The mass m is then given an initial speed v
o
along the direction of AB.
Assuming that the friction between the inclined plane and the mass as well as the
friction between ABC and the surface of the table are negligible, what is the
minimum value of v
o
such that the small mass can slide across point B?
2
M, ABC. AB AC
, B h. AB A m.
. AB v
o.
ABC
, v
o
B ?
B
o
v
h
m
A C
Notice: the velocity of m when it reaches point B must be >0 in order for it to pass
through point B.
Now lets us consider conservation of momentum

u M m mv
o
) ( cos +
where u = velocity of whole system when m reaches B (with zero velocity).
Conservation of energy
mgh u M m mv
o
+ +
2 2
) (
2
1
2
1
Solving the two equations we obtain the minimum velocity

2
sin
) ( 2
m M
M m gh
v
o
+
+

.
6. 20 people, each has mass 50 kg are standing on a cart, resting on a frictionless
horizontal ground. The mass of the cart is 2000 kg. Initially, the cart is stationary.
Then, the people jump off from the back of the cart in horizontal direction with
velocity v relative to the cart. What is the final velocity of the cart if
a) 20 people jump off simultaneously?
b) One jump off after the other?
Which method do the cart attain a greater final speed?
2000 kg. 20 , 50 kg.
. v.
(a)Conservation of momentum

'
3
1
'
20
20
0 ) ' ( 20
v v
m M
m
v
v v m Mv

+

+ +
(M=2000, m=50)
(b)for the 1
st
jump
3
'
20
0 ) ' ( ) 19 (
1
1 1
v
m M
m
v
v v m v m M
+

+ + +
For the 2
nd
jump
'
19
) 19 ( ) ' ( ) 18 (
1 2
1 2 2
v
m M
m
v v
v m M v v m v m M
+

+ + + +
Continuing the process
' 404 . 0 ' ....
19 20
20
v v
m M
m
m M
m
m M
m
v
1
]
1

+
+ +
+
+
+

7. Referring to the diagram, a rectangular box of mass m is placed on a smooth
horizontal ground. A small object with the same mass m is put inside the box. There
is no friction between the mass and the surface of the box. Initially, the box remains
stationary. The small mass is given a constant initial speed v
o
going from wall A to
wall B of the box and collides with wall B. Assume every time after the small mass
collides with the wall, the relative speed between them is e times their relative speed
before collision, where e = (1/2)
1/4
.
a) What is the maximum number of collision (n) where the total loss in kinetic
energy of the system (the small mass plus the box) does not exceed 40% of its
initial value?
b) What is the average speed of the box from the beginning of the motion to the
completion of the nth collision?

, m .
m,
. , v
o
A B
. B. ,
e . e = (1/2)
1/4
.
a) 40%.
?
b) , ?
A B

o
v


4
Let the velocity of the mass and the box be v
m
and v
b
, respectively. The relative velocity
between the box and mass is v
r
= v
m
- v
b.
The kinetic energy of the system is
2 2 2 2 2 2
'
4
1
) (
4
1
)
2
'
2
(
2
1
)
2
'
2
(
2
1
2
1
2
1
mv v v
v v v
m
v v v
m mv mv E
b m
b m b m
b
m
+ +
+
+ +
+
+
Conservation of momentum
o b m
mv mv mv +
2 2
'
4
1
4
1
mv mv E
o
+
.
Initially
0 '
o
v v
and total energy is
2
0
2
1
o
mv E
. After n collisions,
o
n
v e v ' ,
Therefore
2
) 1 (
2
1
4
1
4
1
2
2 2 2 2
n
o o
n
o
e
mv v me mv E
+
+ .
Therefore . 4 6 . 0
2
) 1 (
0 0
2

+
n E E
e
E
n
n
b) Total time up to the completion of 4
th
collision (up to the moment immediately before
the 5
th
collision)
0
4
0
3
0
2
0
v e
L
v e
L
v e
L
ev
L
t + + +
Total displacement of the box up to the completion of 4
th
collision

,
_

,
_

,
_

,
_

+
+

,
_

,
_

,
_

,
_

0
4 0
4
0
3 0
3
0
2 0
2
0
0
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
v e
L
v
e
v e
L
v
e
v e
L
v
e
ev
L
v
e
D
Average speed of the box
2 2
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1
0 0
4 3 2
4 3 2
v v
e e e e
e e e e
T
D
v
+ + +
+ + +

8. A pendulum is suspended on a metal framework inside a wooden box under gravity.
The pendulum can move freely towards any direction. The wooden box accelerates
downwards constantly at acceleration a. Can the pendulum perform harmonic
motion? If yes, what is the oscillation frequency?
, .
a , ?
Yes. If a < g
l
a g
,
If g < a
l
g a

5
9. A small ball with mass m is vertically suspended between two identical springs inside
a box with mass M, as shown in the figure. The elastic constant of each spring is .
The box falls freely from h (relative to the table surface) and performs a totally
inelastic collision with the surface of the table. At the moment when the box starts to
fall, the springs do not deform and the ball remains stationary. What is the minimum
value of h such that after the totally inelastic collision between the box and the table
surface, the box jumps up again?
m M. . .
h(), .
, , . h ,
, ?
Consider the forces acting on the box M after the box struck the desk.
Mg N x + 2
where x = displacement of mass m, and N = normal reaction force from the table.
The ball will jump up if at the maximum displacement of the mass m, N = 0, i.e. if
Mg x
max
2
.
x
max
can be computed from conservation of energy from the small mass
2
max
2
max
2
1
) ( mv mgx x k +
(Notice all the energy from mass M are dissipated for totally inelastic collision)
Therefore
mgh
k
Mg
mg
k
Mg
k + )
2
( )
2
(
2
or
h
m
M
k
Mg
+ ) 1
2
(
2
.
6
m

10. Two blocks of masses with same mass m are connected by a massless spring with
spring constant k. They are placed against the wall as shown in the figure. The spring
is compressed by distance d and then released suddenly.
Describe the motion of the blocks after the spring is released.
Let x be the position of block B. When x < 0, the spring presses block A towards the
wall. Only block B moves.
When x = 0, both blocks start to move. Using the conservation of energy,
2 2
2
1
2
1
mv kd

m
k
d v .
Hence the center of mass moves with the velocity
m
k d
v
2
CM
.
At the same time, the spring oscillates. In the center of mass frame, both blocks move
with velocities
m
k d
2
. Using the conservation of energy,

,
_

2
CM
2
2
1
2
2
1
mv kA

2
d
A
.
Hence the spring oscillates with an amplitude
2
d
A
.
When the spring stretches to the maximum length, block A is stationary momentarily.
When the spring compresses to the minimum length, block B is stationary
momentarily.
11. A piece of metal with mass m is placed on top of a piece of wood with mass M, and
the 2 pieces of masses are floating on the surface of water as shown in the figure. If
the piece of metal is put directly inside water, what will happen to the water surface?
Explain your result.
7
A
B
d
When the metal is placed on top of the piece of wood, the volume of water displaced
water
1

m M
V
+

.
When the metal is put directly inside water, the total volume of water displaced
metal water
2

m M
V +
Change in volume of water displaced
0
water metal
1 2
<

m m
V V
.
Hence the water level drops.
12. A container with depth H is filled with liquid. The density of the liquid decreases
linearly as the distance of the liquid from the bottom with value
b
at the bottom and

s
at the surface. Two balls with same volume V are inserted into the liquid. The balls
are connected by a light wire of fixed length l. The density of the first ball is
1
and
the density of the second ball is
2
with
s
<
1
<
2
<
b
. Determine the stationary
configuration of the balls inside the liquid. What is the tension in the wire?
The density of liquid at distance x from the bottom
x
H
x
s b
b

,
_

) (
.
Let T be the tension in the wire. When the ball with density
2
is located at x l/2,
and the ball with density
1
is located at x + l/2,
gV
l
x T gV
,
_

+
2
2

, (1)
gV
l
x T gV
,
_

+ +
2
1

. (2)
(1) + (2):
x
H
l
x
l
x
s b
b

,
_

,
_

+ +

,
_

+

2 2
2 2
2 1
H x
s b
b

,
_

2 / 2 /
2 1
8
m
M
The ball with density
2
is located at
2
2 / 2 /
2 1
l
H
s b
b

,
_

, and the ball with
density
1
is located at
2
2 / 2 /
2 1
l
H
s b
b
+

,
_

. The tension in the wire is
( )
2
1 2
gV
H
l
T
s b
1
]
1

.
13. A smooth platform with length L is fixed on the ground as shown in the diagram.
Two small objects, A and B, are placed at the
centre of the platform. The two objects are in
contact. The upper surface of object A is a
semi-circle rail with radius R. (R <L). A
small object C is located at the top of the rail,
with height h relative to the platform. The
masses of A, B and C are all the same ( = m).
Object C slides down on the rail starting from
zero velocity. AC are always in contact during
the motion.
Find
1) The speed of object B when A and B separate.
2) The maximum height which can be attained by object C (relative to the platform)
after A and B separates.
3) Determine whether object A will fall from the left side or the right side of the
platform. Meanwhile, estimate the time it takes for A to leave the platform after
the separation of A and B.
1) A and B separate when C reaches the bottom of A. Let v and v be the velocities
of C and A(B) at this instant.
Conservation of momentum in x-direction implies 0 2 ' + mv mv
Conservation of energy implies
2 2
'
2
1
2
1
2 mv mv mgR +
,
_

.
Solving the two equations we obtain
3
gR
v (towards right).
2) After B separates, the energy and momentum of the A+B system are
2 2 2
2
5
) ' (
2
1
2
1
mv v m mv E + and mv mv mv P + '
At the highest point of object C, C and A are moving with same velocity u.
Conservation of energy and momentum implies
2
mu mgx E + , mu P 2 .
9
Solving these equations we obtain
R
g
v
x
4
3
4
9
2

, or
4
R
h
from the platform.
3) conservation of momentum implies that the A+C system as a whole is always
moving towards left (i.e., it falls out from left) with momentum mv. The time it falls
out is roughly
L
gR v
L
t
3

.
14. A cylinder of mass M is placed on a
smooth horizontal surface. The cross
section of M is a quarter-circle A
with Radius R. The surface of the
cylinder is smooth and a small object
B with mass m is placed on its top.
Initially both A and B are stationary
in the fixed x-O-y coordinate system
shown in the diagram. If the small
object slides down from the top of
the cylinder, find the equation of motion of the small object before the object
detaches from the arc of circle.
Sol:
Conservation of momentum in x-direction
0 +
ax Bx
Mv mv
.
Let
) , (
2 2
y x
be the coordinate of B at time t, and
) 0 , (
1
x
be the coordinate of A (point
O).

+ + + 0 0 0
1 2
Mx mx dt V M dt v m Mv mv
ax Bx ax Bx
.
Before AB detach, we also have
2 1 2
cos , sin y R x x R . Eliminating
and
1
x
from the equations we obtain
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
+

,
_

+
R
y
m M
MR
x
, i.e. the trajectory of an ellipse.
10